Key Takeaways
- • Abu Dhabi's Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of ADGM granted a Financial Services Permission (FSP) to Animoca Asset Management (AD) Limited, a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, allowing it to manage collective investment funds in or from ADGM.
- • The permission authorizes the regulated activity of Managing a Collective Investment Fund, placing the firm's fund management operations under FSRA oversight.
- • According to Animoca, the FSP is part of a four-pillar plan covering institutional-grade blockchain infrastructure, linking traditional financial institutions with decentralized networks, tokenized assets, and agentic AI in Web3.
- • The announcement concerns fund management only; it does not affect games such as The Sandbox or Anichess, and Animoca says it supports growth in the Middle East.
Summary
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the international financial centre in the UAE capital, has granted a Financial Services Permission (FSP) to Animoca Asset Management (AD) Limited (AAM), a subsidiary of Animoca Brands Corporation Limited. The permission allows AAM to carry out the regulated activity of managing a collective investment fund in or from ADGM, meaning the firm can operate investment funds under the supervision of the Abu Dhabi regulator.
Animoca Brands, known for The Sandbox and Anichess, describes itself as a global digital assets leader that builds and invests in technologies and ecosystems, including autonomous agentic AI. The company also builds the Moca Network and Open Campus, provides digital asset services to Web3 companies, operates institutional-grade platforms, and holds more than 600 companies and digital assets in its investment portfolio. According to the company, the FSP supports its institutional capabilities and growth in the Middle East.
According to Animoca, the permission fits a broader strategy with four components: building institutional-grade blockchain infrastructure, linking traditional financial institutions with decentralized networks, developing tokenized assets, and bringing agentic AI into Web3 environments. The stated goal is advancing the future of digital property rights.
Senior Executive Officer and Director Minh Do said the permission is "a critical milestone for our operations in the Middle East," allowing the firm to "manage collective investment funds under a robust regulatory framework, bridging institutional capital with the future of the agentic web and digital assets." ADGM's Chief Market Development Officer, Arvind Ramamurthy, said the expansion "strengthens the connections between institutional capital and digital assets within our ecosystem," and that ADGM looks forward to supporting the firm's growth and reinforcing Abu Dhabi's position as a hub for digital finance.
The announcement covers fund management only. It does not reference The Sandbox, Anichess, or any other Animoca game, and the games are unchanged.
Animoca Brands, known for The Sandbox and Anichess, describes itself as a global digital assets leader that builds and invests in technologies and ecosystems, including autonomous agentic AI. The company also builds the Moca Network and Open Campus, provides digital asset services to Web3 companies, operates institutional-grade platforms, and holds more than 600 companies and digital assets in its investment portfolio. According to the company, the FSP supports its institutional capabilities and growth in the Middle East.
According to Animoca, the permission fits a broader strategy with four components: building institutional-grade blockchain infrastructure, linking traditional financial institutions with decentralized networks, developing tokenized assets, and bringing agentic AI into Web3 environments. The stated goal is advancing the future of digital property rights.
Senior Executive Officer and Director Minh Do said the permission is "a critical milestone for our operations in the Middle East," allowing the firm to "manage collective investment funds under a robust regulatory framework, bridging institutional capital with the future of the agentic web and digital assets." ADGM's Chief Market Development Officer, Arvind Ramamurthy, said the expansion "strengthens the connections between institutional capital and digital assets within our ecosystem," and that ADGM looks forward to supporting the firm's growth and reinforcing Abu Dhabi's position as a hub for digital finance.
The announcement covers fund management only. It does not reference The Sandbox, Anichess, or any other Animoca game, and the games are unchanged.
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