Animoca Brands Expands Web3 Portfolio with Acquisition of Somo

Animoca Brands has acquired Somo, a digital collectibles and gaming company, to expand its Web3 portfolio. The acquisition will integrate Somo's playable, streamable, and tradable collectibles into Animoca's ecosystem. This move follows a sharp early 2026 rebound in the NFT market, with market capitalization rising 20% in the first two weeks of the year.

The NFT market has shown renewed momentum, climbing from $2.5 billion on January 1 to over $3 billion by mid-January. This rebound marks one of the strongest short-term recoveries for NFTs in over a year. Despite the gains, the NFT sector remains down 59% year-over-year compared to January 2025.

Animoca plans to leverage its global Web3 network to accelerate the growth of Somo's brand. The acquisition is expected to enable cross-promotion and shared infrastructure across both companies' platforms. Somo's games, including Somo Codex and Somo Battleground, will be integrated into Animoca's broader Web3 strategy.

Why Did This Happen?

Animoca's acquisition of Somo aligns with the company's goal to strengthen its Web3-native entertainment offerings. The deal comes as the NFT market shows signs of renewed activity. The integration of Somo's collectibles and gaming ecosystem into Animoca's platform is expected to enhance cross-promotion and community growth.

How Did Markets Respond?

The NFT market capitalization surged 20% in the first two weeks of January 2026. This growth was attributed to a combination of blue-chip NFTs pumping, high-value sales increasing, and new NFTs airdropping tokens. Despite the short-term gains, the NFT sector is still down 59% compared to the same period in 2025.

What Are Analysts Watching Next?

Analysts are closely monitoring whether 2026 will mark the start of a new NFT cycle or just a temporary bounce. The recent market recovery has been accompanied by a 18.7% increase in 24-hour trading volume. If Bitcoin maintains levels around $95,000, analysts project that NFT trading volume could reach $10 billion by Q2 2026.

Animoca plans to migrate Somo listings to its Mocaverse platform to enable cross-chain NFT utility in games like The Sandbox. This move is expected to enhance the interoperability of digital collectibles across multiple platforms.