Animoca Brands has secured a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA). This authorization allows the Web3 investment firm to provide broker-dealer and asset management services to institutional and qualified investors within the emirate. The license covers operations across broader Dubai, excluding the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), and marks a significant expansion for Animoca’s portfolio of over 600 companies.
The regulatory approval coincides with a broader tightening of crypto oversight in the United Arab Emirates. Recent mandates from the DFSA have prohibited licensed entities from facilitating privacy-focused tokens and have introduced more stringent definitions for fiat-pegged stablecoins.
For Animoca, the Dubai hub serves as a strategic base for scaling institutional products, particularly in the real-world asset (RWA) sector. This move underscores a growing trend where major digital asset players prioritize high-compliance jurisdictions to ensure long-term operational stability and institutional integration.
