Animoca Brands has secured final approval to manage investment funds for professional investors in Abu Dhabi, marking a major expansion of its asset management business. The authorization, granted to its subsidiary Animoca Asset Management (AD) Limited by the Abu Dhabi Global Market’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA), allows the company to oversee funds targeting institutional and qualified investors rather than the general public.
The approval, effective since October 13, 2026, concludes a process that began with in-principle approval in November 2025. During this period, Animoca also obtained a Dubai license in February 2026 to offer virtual asset brokerage and investment management services to institutional and qualified investors.
Originally spun off from mobile game developer Animoca in 2014, Animoca Brands initially focused on game development before shifting its attention to blockchain technology in 2018. The company has since built a diverse investment portfolio, including stakes in OpenSea, Dapper Labs, and Axie Infinity developer Sky Mavis.
In a September 2026 investor update, Animoca outlined its strategic transition from a digital asset and Web3 operator to a regulated financial services institution operating across multiple jurisdictions. The company emphasized a growing focus on stablecoins, real-world asset tokenization, and treasury management as part of its broader push into traditional financial services.