Animoca Brands Secures Abu Dhabi Regulatory Approval to Manage Investment Funds for Non-Retail Clients

Animoca Brands announced on Monday that it has successfully secured the necessary regulatory approval to manage investment funds for non-retail clients in Abu Dhabi, marking a major milestone in the expansion of the asset management business for a company that originally began in mobile gaming before pivoting into blockchain gaming and venture investing.

The authorization, which was officially granted to its subsidiary Animoca Asset Management (AD) Limited by the Abu Dhabi Global Market’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority, commonly known as the FSRA, allows the firm to oversee investment funds that pool money strictly from professional investors rather than the general public. This regulatory green light represents a significant step forward for the company’s regional ambitions in the Middle East, cementing its transition into a more formally regulated financial entity within one of the world’s leading international financial centers.

The regulatory approval announced on Monday formally took effect on October 13, bringing a comprehensive and extended authorization process that began with in-principle approval in November 2025 to its ultimate completion. During the intervening months, as the company worked to satisfy all regulatory requirements in Abu Dhabi, Animoca also expanded its regional footprint by securing a virtual asset license in Dubai in February. That license authorized the firm to provide virtual asset brokerage and investment management services directly to institutional and qualified investors within the emirate.

The trajectory of Animoca Brands reflects a profound evolution over the past decade. The company was originally spun off from mobile game developer Animoca in 2014, starting out by developing and publishing video games based on various licensed global brands alongside a catalog of original entertainment titles. However, as the digital landscape shifted toward decentralized technologies, the company executed a pivotal strategic pivot toward blockchain and Web3 in 2018. Through this bold shift, it rapidly built a formidable investment portfolio that ultimately came to include foundational crypto and blockchain entities such as industry-leading NFT marketplace OpenSea, blockchain developer Dapper Labs, and Sky Mavis, the creator of the prominent play-to-earn game Axie Infinity.

In a recent investor update published in September, the company detailed a much broader and more comprehensive corporate transition. Animoca described its ongoing shift from operating primarily as a digital asset and Web3-focused company into a fully regulated financial services institution capable of operating seamlessly across multiple international jurisdictions. This strategic pivot mirrors a wider industry trend characterized by crypto-native companies increasingly pushing into traditional financial services, seeking regulatory legitimacy and institutional-grade infrastructure. Under the umbrella of this updated strategy, digital assets are taking on a much more formalized and institutional role within the company’s overarching business model, with an explicit focus on stablecoins, the tokenization of real-world assets, and sophisticated corporate treasury management.