SCMP’s Web3 spin-off hires former Animoca executive

Artifact Labs chief commercial officer Zaf Chow / Photo credit: Zaf Chow

Artifact Labs, a Web3 company focused on preserving culture and history on the blockchain, has appointed former Animoca Brands executive Zaf Chow as its chief commercial officer.

Artifact Labs was spun out of its parent firm, media outlet South China Morning Post, in March 2022. Catering to museums, cultural institutions, and corporations, Artifact leverages blockchain technology and non-fungible tokens for asset preservation, brand marketing, and audience engagement.

Chow was the director of digital strategy and partnerships at Animoca Brands, where she continues to serve as an advisor. She will lead the sales and business development team at Artifact Labs, guiding the company’s commercial strategy and revenue generation.

“It’s evident that the general public and organizations are looking into and embracing real-life applications for Web3 technologies,” Chow said in a statement. “I see huge potential and value in preserving cultural and historical assets immutably on the blockchain.”

Artifact Labs has also announced the appointment of Brian Lang, formerly an investment director specializing in Web3 and fintech investments at Peak Capital, as COO.

Artifact Labs co-founder Henry Chan has taken on the additional role of head of product and innovation. He will ideate and develop a product suite that helps institutions onboard the Web3 space.

Last month, the firm secured US$3.25 million in its seed round from Blue Pool Capital and Animoca Ventures.

Earlier this year, Artifact also submitted Ethereum Improvement Proposal 6596 to establish a metadata standard for historical assets on the Ethereum blockchain. The goal is to support on-chain preservation work with immutable metadata.

See also: Animoca looks to forge metaverse rules with Web2 giants amid war of words (Updated)