Web3 investor and platform developer Animoca Brands has secured a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA). The license, issued on February 5, authorizes the company to offer broker-dealer and investment management services for virtual assets to institutional and qualified investors in and from Dubai. This move is part of a broader trend of crypto firms establishing regulated operations within the emirate’s framework.
Animoca Brands has obtained a Virtual Asset Service Provider license from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority. This clears the path for the company to expand its crypto operations across the Middle East.
The license permits the Hong Kong-founded firm to offer broker-dealer and investment management services related to virtual assets. These services are aimed primarily at institutional and qualified investors and exclude the Dubai International Financial Centre, according to a company announcement.
“This licence enhances our ability to engage with Web3 foundations as well as global institutional and qualified investors within a well-regulated framework,” said Omar Elassar, managing director for the Middle East at Animoca Brands. VARA’s public register shows the license was formally issued on February 5.
The regulator, established in March 2022, oversees digital asset provision and exchange across Dubai’s mainland and free zones. Animoca Brands develops blockchain platforms and supports Web3 ecosystems like The Sandbox and Moca Network.
The company also holds an investment portfolio spanning more than 600 digital-asset initiatives. Its expansion in Dubai adds to a growing list of crypto businesses establishing regulated operations there.
In October 2025, digital asset infrastructure company BitGo also obtained a broker-dealer license from VARA. This approval came after VARA said it had issued financial penalties against 19 companies for unlicensed activities.
