WeChat valued at $83.6 billion, half of Tencent’s market cap: HSBC

WeChat, China’s ubiquitous messaging app, is valued at US$83.6 billion, a little under half of Tencent’s current market capitalization, according to a report by HSBC this week cited by Bloomberg.

Although the figure is a rough estimate of what WeChat, which now has 600 million monthly active users (MAUs), is worth to Tencent as a service, it shows that now ubiquitous messaging apps are still rising in value.

Facebook paid US$18 billion last year for WhatsApp, while Snapchat was estimated to be worth US$16 billion earlier this year. WhatsApp has 800 million MAUs; Snapchat had 100 million active daily users in May.

WeChat is vital to Tencent not just as a messaging app but as a conduit for ecommerce, mobile payments, media, social gaming, and a host of other areas where Tencent can make money.

(Source: Bloomberg)