The Animoca Brands ADGM permission, announced on 2 November 2026, is a Financial Services Permission granted to subsidiary Animoca Asset Management (AD) Limited by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of ADGM to manage collective investment funds in or from the Abu Dhabi financial centre, according to the company. Fintechbits’ archive shows Alpaca held only in-principle approval from the same regulator when Fintechbits reported it on 27 October, while Animoca Asset Management holds a granted Financial Services Permission (Fintechbits).

What the Animoca Brands ADGM Permission Allows

The permission covers one regulated activity, managing a collective investment fund. It does not, on the release’s description, cover dealing, custody or operating an exchange. Animoca says it wants to build institutional-grade blockchain infrastructure, connect traditional financial institutions to decentralised networks, develop tokenised assets and link agentic AI with Web3, and a regulated fund manager in ADGM is a vehicle for raising institutional money into those strategies.

Minh Do, senior executive officer and director of the subsidiary, called the permission “a critical milestone for our operations in the Middle East.” Arvind Ramamurthy, ADGM’s chief market development officer, said the firm’s move into fund management “strengthens the connections between institutional capital and digital assets within our ecosystem.” Animoca says its portfolio covers more than 600 companies and digital assets.

Abu Dhabi’s Growing Crypto Roster

ADGM has become a base for regulated crypto businesses. Binance’s own site lists its ADGM entities as regulated by the FSRA, including a recognised investment exchange and a recognised clearing house. Fintechbits covered Alpaca’s in-principle approval for a UAE brokerage and virtual asset custody entity in October. The Animoca Brands ADGM permission is narrower than an exchange licence but further along than an in-principle nod.

Fintechbits analysis

Why the Animoca Brands ADGM Permission Is Capacity, Not Business

A fund management permission matters only once there is a fund. The release names no fund, size, strategy or launch date, so investors have nothing to buy and there are no assets to report. Fintechbits’ industry roundtable on where tokenisation is real found most traction in collateral and settlement, and the products Animoca chooses will show whether it is chasing that demand or its own token ecosystem.

The second question is conflicts. Animoca invests in hundreds of digital asset companies and tokens. A regulated fund managed by an Animoca subsidiary will need clear rules on buying assets its parent already holds.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Animoca Brands ADGM permission allow?

It authorises Animoca Asset Management (AD) Limited to carry out the regulated activity of managing a collective investment fund in or from ADGM, under the FSRA.

Has Animoca launched a fund under its Animoca Brands ADGM permission?

The release does not name a fund, its size or a launch date.

How is this different from Alpaca’s approval?

Alpaca received in-principle approval from the FSRA, which is a step before a licence. Animoca’s subsidiary has a granted Financial Services Permission.

What to Watch Next

Watch for the first fund under the Animoca Brands ADGM permission, its target size and whether its holdings overlap with Animoca’s own portfolio.