Animoca Brands announced on Monday that its subsidiary, Animoca Asset Management (AD) Limited, has secured full authorization from the Abu Dhabi Global Market’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) to manage investment funds for non-retail clients. This approval, which officially took effect on October 13, completes a regulatory process that began with in-principle approval in November 2025.
The new license allows the subsidiary to oversee funds pooling capital from professional investors rather than the general public. This development expands the asset management operations of Animoca Brands, a company originally spun off from mobile game developer Animoca in 2014. The firm shifted its strategic focus toward blockchain technology in 2018, subsequently building a venture portfolio that includes major entities such as OpenSea, Dapper Labs, and Sky Mavis, the developer behind Axie Infinity.
In addition to the Abu Dhabi authorization, Animoca secured a separate license in Dubai in February to provide virtual asset brokerage and investment management services to institutional and qualified investors. In a September investor update, the company described a broader transition from a digital asset and Web3 operator into a regulated financial services institution operating across multiple jurisdictions. This strategy emphasizes the growing institutional role of digital assets within its business model, focusing on stablecoins, real-world asset tokenization, and treasury management.
This regulatory clearance marks a definitive shift in Animoca Brands' operational identity, moving beyond its origins in gaming and venture capital toward structured financial services. By securing FSRA approval in Abu Dhabi alongside its earlier Dubai license, the company is actively constructing a compliant framework for managing professional capital. This dual-jurisdiction approach reduces reliance on speculative market cycles by anchoring revenue streams in regulated asset management fees and institutional service contracts.
The emphasis on non-retail clients suggests a strategic prioritization of stability and compliance over mass-market exposure. As crypto-native firms increasingly integrate with traditional finance, this move highlights the competitive advantage gained by early regulatory adoption. However, it also introduces heightened scrutiny regarding fiduciary responsibilities and operational risk management, areas where traditional financial institutions have established rigorous standards that newcomers must meet to maintain credibility.
