Latest Developments of Established Companies Like Sony Group Announcing a ¥500 Million Investment in the Web3.0 Sector.

In recent years, an increasing number of listed companies have been engaged in “Web 3.0” businesses such as blockchain, crypto assets, NFT, and metaverse, not only in IT but also in various other industries and sectors. Let us consider the stock price trends of such Web 3.0-related stocks.

Toyota Motor Corporation, for example, is researching and developing crypto assets and NFT through its group companies. In the first quarter (April-June) of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, Toyota Motor Corp. reported sales of 10,546.8 billion yen (+24.2% YoY) and operating profit of 1,120.9 billion yen (+93.7% YoY), a strong performance in itself.

The stock price also reached the highest level since its listing. In its core business, there are concerns about EVs and other issues, but if the company's performance is maintained, the share price should remain strong.

The Sony Group, which has grown into a global multinational conglomerate, is also working on games and NFT, and its share price as of early September was up about 15% from a year ago, not a bad trend. The company is forecasting sales of 12.2 trillion yen for the current fiscal year, and the more certain it is that it will achieve this goal, the more it will be reflected in the share price, and there is a strong possibility that the good trend will continue in the next fiscal year as well.

Toyota Motor (7203)

Category：Automobiles

Practicality and Potential of New Technology Expected from Global Toyota

Toyota, the world's leading automaker, was quick to focus on blockchain technology and has actually introduced several highly convenient systems

Toyota Motor Corporation, one of Japan's leading automakers, has earned a high reputation around the world, with group-wide sales exceeding 10.48 million units in 2022, surpassing Germany's Volkswagen Group and topping the world market for the third consecutive year.

In addition, Toyota is actively developing its business in fields other than automobiles, and the “TOYOTA BLOCKCHAIN LAB,” which was launched in April 2019, is attracting attention from within and outside the industry.

The TOYOTA BLOCKCHAIN LAB is a virtual organization established by a cross-sectional collaboration of major Toyota Group companies to pursue new value creation using the blockchain.

The Lab is a virtual organization established by a cross-sectional collaboration of major Toyota Group companies in pursuit of new value creation using blockchain. The practicality of blockchain is attracting a great deal of attention.

▶▶︎Future Outlook

The share price has been strong since the Corona disaster, and the new business in the Web 3.0 domain is also attracting attention, so there are high expectations for the share price transition in the future.

Mitsui & Co.

Category：General trading company

Issued “Zipangu Coin,” which aims to be linked to the price of gold

Mitsui aims to promote Web 3.0 in Japan with the theme of strengthening business development in the areas of blockchain and digital assets

Mitsui & Co., one of Japan's five leading trading companies, is diversifying its business in a variety of areas, including the sale of a wide range of products, logistics and finance to support those products, and the construction of international projects.

In June 2023, the company announced a capital and business alliance and a memorandum of understanding for a strategic partnership with Animoca Brands, a leading company in the Web 3.0 domain.

Animoca Brands is a Hong Kong-based gaming company with titles such as “The Sandbox” and “Revv,” as well as a focus on the use of blockchain in wellness, decarbonization, and other areas, including NFT marketplace giant OpenSea and decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) Yield GuildGames (YGG).

Through this partnership, the two companies intend to strengthen their business development in the blockchain and digital asset fields. In addition, Mitsui & Co. Digital Commodities, a subsidiary of Mitsui & Co., has issued “Zipangu Coin,” a crypto asset that aims to be linked to the price of gold, and Mitsui's presence is also growing in the Web 3.0 domain.

▶▶︎Future Outlook

Digital securitization using blockchain is also expected to expand its base to individual investors who invest small amounts.

Sony Group (6758)

Category: Electronics

Announced an investment of approximately 500 million yen in a Web 3.0 startup

Through the capital alliance with Star Tail Labs, Sony Group aims to establish a global infrastructure to support the Web 3.0 era

In June 2023, the Sony Group, which changed its corporate name to “Sony Group Corporation” on April 1, 2021, through its subsidiary Sony Network Communications Corporation, announced a third-party allocation of shares with Startale Labs, a tech company that develops Web 3.0 infrastructure. In June 2023, Sony Group, through its subsidiary Sony Network Communications, entered into a share allotment agreement with Startale Labs, a tech company that develops Web 3.0 infrastructure, for a third-party allotment of shares. In the third round, Sony invested approximately 500 million yen in Startale Labs.

Startale Labs was founded by Sota Watanabe, the founder of Astar Network, and is developing products using the experience, relationships, and connections cultivated through the development of Astar Network. In September of the same year, the two companies announced the establishment of a joint venture for the purpose of developing their own blockchain.

Through the new company, they aim to create Web 3.0 killer use cases and global infrastructure. The combination of Sony's accumulated knowledge and experience in the telecommunications business and Star Tail Labs' expertise in the Web 3.0 field, which is currently the focus of much attention, could bring a new wind to the Japanese market.

▶▶︎Future Outlook

The Sony Group's ability to develop everything from Web 3.0 infrastructure to applications in-house in one fell swoop will be a focus of attention in the future.

Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (9501)

Category：Electricity and Gas

Promoting Web 3.0 business with power asset NFT

TEPCO's electricity sales volume continues to decline and its business performance is on a downtrend.

TEPCO is Japan's largest electric power company in terms of electricity sales volume, comprising five operating companies. In addition to being directly affected by weather and economic activity, the amount of electricity sold is also influenced by government policy, which tends to result in large fluctuations. In recent years, in particular, the company's electricity sales have been declining due to a combination of factors such as increased awareness of energy conservation and deregulation of the electric power industry.

The company's stock price is on a slight recovery trend from 2022 onward, and in particular, the stock price tends to rise when people are aware of the tight power supply-demand situation. TEPCO Holdings is also involved in the Web 3.0 business. At Greenway Grid Global, a joint venture established in 2018 by its subsidiary TEPCO Power Grid and Chubu Electric Power and ICMG Partners, TEPCO Power Grid has been issuing “steel tower The company has developed a power asset NFT “Steel Tower & Power Pole NFT Card” based on the “Steel Tower & Power Pole Card” and sells it on the NFT marketplace “HEXA”.

The company's future policy is to promote a system that adds “new value” using power asset NFTs.

▶▶︎Future Outlook

The company has high expectations for the possibility of participatory social contribution content using electric power assets, but there are some concerns about the recent performance of its head office.

● Sanrio (8136)

Category: Wholesale

Linked with “Gaudiy Fanlink” by Gaudiy

There are several positive factors for the future, including profit improvement in merchandise sales, overseas business expansion, and Web 3.0 business

Sanrio was temporarily in the red due to the impact of the new Corona expansion, but theme parks such as Sanrio Puroland and Harmony Land and the sluggish U.S. business returned to profitability. Furthermore, the share price is on an upward trend from 2022 onward, due to increased revenues from licensing royalties.

In the Web 3.0 business, the company announced that in 2022 it will collaborate with Gaudiy, a venture company developing a blockchain business, to release a global community service that utilizes Sanrio's characters. The company announced that it will release a global community service using Sanrio characters.

The company plans to collaborate with Gaudiy's fan platform Gaudiy Fanlink, which has NFT and decentralized IDs, as well as with the company's newly developed Metaverse business. Sanrio expects that the direction of entertainment in the Web 3.0 era will be “a different kind of enjoyment where fans and companies unite to enliven the community,” and will promote its Web 3.0 business.

▶▶︎Future Outlook

While there are concerns that the rise may be transitory, the stock price, which has been soaring since 2022, is expected to remain strong over the next several years.



Related Articles

The land and air transportation-related companies of JAL, ANA, and East Japan Railway Company, as well as major media companies such as Nittele and Teletext, will enter the Web 3.0 space.

Nomura Holdings, SBI Holdings, and Other Financial Sector Companies Showing High Interest in Blockchain and Crypto Assets