- Animoca must meet capital, compliance, and operational requirements before receiving final approval.
- The company received in-principle approval for a crypto brokerage licence in Dubai in October.
- Animoca’s investment portfolio spans more than 600 companies across web3 gaming, infrastructure, and digital rights.
Animoca Brands is taking an important step in its regulated expansion strategy after receiving preliminary approval to establish a fund management business in Abu Dhabi.
This development marks a deeper shift in the company’s approach in the Middle East, focusing on building a structured, compliant investment foundation to support its growing operations.
The Abu Dhabi Global Market’s financial services regulator granted in-principle approval on November 24, creating a clear path toward full licensing once the company fulfils required capital, compliance, and operational processes.
That early approval gives new direction to Animoca’s efforts to establish a formal presence in a region rapidly emerging as a hub for digital asset companies.
The company views the UAE as a growth market whose regulatory framework can attract both traditional investors and digital-native participants.
Animoca has already established operations in Dubai and is aligning its regional strategy with frameworks that support fund management and institutional-grade products.
Investment Expansion
The approval brings Animoca Brands closer to managing collective investment funds from within the UAE.
That capability is significant because it enables the firm to serve institutional clients within a regulated environment.
Animoca operates across multiple sectors of the web3 economy, providing advisory services and making investments while maintaining a portfolio of more than 600 companies in gaming, infrastructure, digital property, and tokenisation platforms.
A fund manager licence will provide the company with a structured operational base for its investment activities, creating a unified centre for regulated activities across its global network.
It also supports Animoca’s intent to expand in markets where regulatory transparency is increasing rapidly.
By rooting investment operations in Abu Dhabi, the company is preparing for a future in which compliant digital-asset services become core to institutional adoption.
Regional Licensing Progress
Animoca Brands is continuing to expand its regulated footprint in the Middle East.
In October last year, the company received in-principle approval from the Dubai Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority for a crypto brokerage licence, allowing it to offer regulated trading services in that emirate.
The combination of approvals in Abu Dhabi and Dubai demonstrates how the company is shaping its regional strategy through recognised regulatory frameworks rather than informal or unregulated operations.
Beyond regulatory progress, Animoca is advancing tokenisation projects that involve real-world assets.
One recent initiative involves a limited partnership fund developed with Hong Kong-listed DL Holdings, using the XRP Ledger to structure on-chain instruments.
The company continues to add initiatives in financial education, token distribution, and web3 gaming, expanding the network of projects tied to its broader ecosystem.
UAE’s Growing Focus on Digital Assets
The UAE has become a priority destination for digital-economy businesses, and Animoca Brands is leveraging that momentum to strengthen its regulated operations in the region.
With clearer rules, new licensing pathways, and rising global investor interest, the Middle East offers strategic opportunities for companies seeking compliant growth.
Animoca’s latest approval positions the company at the centre of this transformation as institutions pursue regulated access to digital assets.
Chairman Yat Siu is scheduled to speak at the 2025 Global Blockchain Expo in Abu Dhabi, underscoring the company’s role in regional digital-asset development discussions.
The new approval supports that engagement by providing an authorised path for Animoca to scale fund management and investment services in response to sustained demand for regulated offerings.