Article author: 0x9999in1
Article source: MetaEra
The Web3 strategy and layout of listed companies have become a hot topic that the public is paying more and more attention to. In this context, MetaEra officially launched the "High-end Dialogue" Crypto Concept Stock Executive Interview Series. We will talk to those business leaders who dare to take the lead in the wave of digital transformation, and discuss their strategic layout, business innovation and financial innovation from the first-hand perspective of decision makers, providing forward-looking insights for industry participants.
The guest of this interview is Dai Zhikang, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Boyaa Interactive. Boyaa Interactive (0434.HK) was listed in Hong Kong in 2013, and its main business is online games. Under the leadership of Dai Zhikang, Boyaa Interactive has deployed crypto assets in 2023. Its advanced crypto asset investment philosophy has made it a leader in this trend in Asia. In this interview, we have an in-depth discussion of the strategic vision, bold decisions and business innovation behind Boyaa Interactive's transformation, revealing how it has made great strides in Web3 At the same time, Dai Zhikang shared his profound insights on the future of Web3 and Hong Kong's key role in the global Web3 competition.
Transformation opportunity: the natural fit between online games and Web3 technology
Boya Interactive's transformation stems from its deep accumulation in the field of online games and the natural fit of Web3 technology. He said in the interview: "I personally invested in Huobi in 2014. After more than ten years, I have some in-depth research and thinking on blockchain and Web3 related technologies. I am very optimistic about the development of the Web3 industry and the growth potential of the Web3 ecosystem. Boyaa Interactive has been deeply involved in the field of online games for the past 20 years, and games have a natural combination with Web3. We want to use our own advantages to create high-quality Web3 game products." He pointed out that the game currency in chess and card games is essentially similar to stablecoins, which makes game users likely to become new Web3 users, and high-quality Web3 game products may bring explosive user growth to blockchain.
Based on this belief, Boyaa Interactive announced its entry into the crypto field in August 2023, and the board of directors unanimously approved an investment of more than 200 million US dollars to purchase crypto assets, including 3,353 bitcoins. Dai Zhikang emphasized: "The first step to enter Web3 is to own digital assets. Bitcoin is undoubtedly the first choice. In the short term, Bitcoin has high volatility, but in the long term, it has the potential to resist inflation and provide appreciation opportunities for the value of storage, which is very valuable in the long term."
Strategic Vision: Hope to Become the "Asian Version of MicroStrategy"
Boyaa Interactive has a clear strategic goal. Dai Zhikang said: "We very much hope to become the Asian version of MicroStrategy. MicroStrategy is a pioneer and demonstrator in this field. We have received the attention of investors today, and it is also due to their successful experience." He believes that MicroStrategy's strategy is correct and its actions are decisive. Boyaa Interactive will learn from its experience and continue to increase its holdings of Bitcoin to maintain its leading position in Asia. He further pointed out: "We will also learn from MicroStrategy's successful experience, and we do not rule out adopting the same financing strategy as MicroStrategy to continue to increase our holdings of Bitcoin. We hope to at least maintain our leading position in Asia in this field."
Unlike MicroStrategy, Boyaa Interactive not only focuses on the reserve of encrypted assets, but also combines games with Web3 technology as its core strategy. Dai Zhikang said: "In addition, we will also actively deploy in the field of combining games with Web3 technology, creating and issuing new digital assets through games and investments, which may be a significant difference between us and MicroStrategy." This strategy is not only aimed at enhancing the company's own value, but also hopes to promote the development of the Web3 ecosystem through innovation.
Faced with the volatility of the encrypted market, Boyaa Interactive has demonstrated strategic determination. Dai Zhikang firmly believes that "cryptocurrency will become the mainstream asset of the world in the future, and it is still very far from this goal." He emphasized that Bitcoin, as a means of storing value, is supported by a strong public open source architecture and has long-term anti-inflation potential. Therefore, the company currently has no plans to sell Bitcoin, and plans to continue to increase its holdings using secondary market financing and profits from traditional gaming businesses. Dai Zhikang said: "At present, Boyaa Interactive is the company with the most Bitcoin among Hong Kong listed companies, but we are still insignificant in the world. We hope to continue to increase our holdings of Bitcoin to maintain our leading position in this field."
Regarding the recent hot topic of stock tokenization, although the fact is that stock tokenization is not feasible due to the current legal restrictions in Hong Kong, Dai Zhikang believes that it is an important development trend and will serve as a bridge between traditional finance and Web3. The company will pay close attention to regulatory dynamics.
Business Innovation: Actively Explore Web3 Games and Infrastructure
So far, Boyaa Interactive's Web3 strategy has achieved remarkable results. Dai Zhikang revealed: "Through crypto asset investment, Boyaa Interactive's stock price has soared from HK$0.5 to HK$8.2, an increase of nearly 17 times." This growth reflects the market's recognition of the company's Web3 strategy. He pointed out that the company's market value has been underestimated for a long time in the past, with a market value of only HK$400 million in 2023, while cash assets are as high as HK$1.7 billion, not including traditional online game business. Crypto asset investment has allowed investors to rediscover the value of Boyaa Interactive. Dai Zhikang said: "This shows that everyone is very optimistic about the strategic direction of combining Web3 and games."
In terms of business innovation, Boyaa Interactive actively explores the development of Web3 games, emphasizing that the difference between it and traditional games lies in the distribution of benefits. Dai Zhikang explained: "The biggest difference between Web3 games and traditional games is reflected in the distribution of benefits. The tokens that users can obtain in Web3 games have value. The better the game is, the higher the value of the tokens, and the more benefits players get. They can make money while playing games." The MTT ESports project invested by the company is the best result. Since its launch, the project has attracted tens of thousands of users around the world in just a few months, with about 60,000 to 80,000 active users per week. Dai Zhikang is optimistic about this: "At present, this data is already a relatively amazing data in the Web3 industry." In addition, Boyaa Interactive also invests in Web3 infrastructure, such as public chains, wallets, and DeFi platforms to build a complete ecosystem. Dai Zhikang mentioned: "The group has recently invested in some game projects (such as: MTT ESports, BounceBit). Secondly, it actively invests in Web3-related infrastructure, such as public chains, wallets, DeFi and other platforms."
Conclusion: Hong Kong's Web3 and Boyaa's future
Boya Interactive's transformation benefits from Hong Kong's unique advantage as a global Web3 hub. Dai Zhikang pointed out: "We are very lucky to be in Hong Kong, a market that is aggressive and pioneering. Hong Kong's role in the global Web3 track has been upgraded from a "test field" to an "institutional hub", and its strategic positioning, regulatory innovation and ecological construction have demonstrated unique competitiveness." Looking at the development of Web3 in Hong Kong, he firmly believes that Hong Kong is reshaping the Web3 competition landscape with regulatory certainty and financial infrastructure thickness.
Looking forward, Boyaa Interactive will continue to promote development through three major strategies: continued increase in Bitcoin reserves, steady development of traditional game business, and Web3 game-related research and development and investment. Dai Zhikang said: "The group has made adjustments to the above three strategies in order to remain invincible in the future era based on digital encryption technology." He believes that with the strengthening of Bitcoin consensus and the continued rise in prices, the value of Boyaa Interactive will be discovered by more investors.
