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Animoca Brands Secures VASP License from Dubai Regulator VARA

Animoca Brands Secures VASP License from Dubai Regulator VARA

According to the company, Dubai’s VARA granted a VASP license enabling Animoca Brands to begin operations offering broker-dealer and digital asset management services to institutional and qualified investors in the Emirate.

VIRTUAL

Fact Check
The statement that Animoca Brands has obtained a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license from Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) is consistently and directly supported across all provided primary sources. Multiple independent and relevant crypto industry outlets with moderate to high authority, such as CoinCentral, Bitget News, Lara On The Block, and The Block, explicitly report on the licensing event. The reports not only confirm receipt of the VARA-issued license but also detail the scope of the authorization (broker-dealer and investment services), which further supports the claim with operational specifics. No source provides conflicting information or suggests the claim is false. While some sources are industry press releases or crypto-focused media rather than top-tier mainstream financial outlets, the convergence and mutual corroboration across different publishers mitigate concerns about credibility. Therefore, there is strong and consistent evidence pointing to the truth of the statement, with very low likelihood of it being false.
Summary

Animoca Brands received a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), the company said via email on Monday. The approval enables the Hong Kong-headquartered firm to commence Dubai operations, offering broker-dealer services and digital asset management and investment to institutional and qualified investors. Animoca previously obtained in-principle approval as a regulated fund manager in Abu Dhabi in November, manages a portfolio of over 600 blockchain investments, and filed to list on Nasdaq via a reverse merger late last year. Dubai established VARA in 2022 and has also approved major exchanges such as Binance and OKX.

Terms & Concepts
  • VARA: Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority, established in 2022 to license and oversee virtual asset service providers in the Emirate.
  • VASP License: Authorization for a Virtual Asset Service Provider to operate regulated activities such as brokerage, transfer, or management of digital assets.