Animoca Brands Secures VARA Approval in Dubai Expansion
Animoca Brands has obtained a virtual asset service provider license from Dubai’s regulator, marking another step in the emirate’s push to position itself as a global hub for digital assets.
Key Takeaways
- Animoca Brands secured a VASP license from Dubai’s regulator, expanding its regulated footprint in the Middle East.
- The approval allows the firm to offer crypto broker-dealer and investment services under a formal framework.
- Separate on-chain data shows a newly created wallet deploying $2.75 million in USDC into WLFI, signaling elevated speculative activity.
The license, issued by Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), enables Animoca to legally offer broker-dealer and investment services tied to crypto assets within the jurisdiction. The approval expands the firm’s regulatory footprint at a time when companies across the sector are seeking clearer oversight frameworks amid tightening rules in the U.S. and Europe.
🇦🇪 ANIMOCA BRANDS SECURES DUBAI CRYPTO LICENSE
Animoca Brands has received Dubai's VARA VASP license, allowing it to legally offer crypto broker-dealer and investment services. pic.twitter.com/iNfPmWyHWj
— Coin Bureau (@coinbureau) February 16, 2026
Dubai has increasingly attracted exchanges, custodians and investment firms with a licensing regime designed specifically for digital assets. The move gives Animoca a formal base in the Middle East, complementing its broader strategy of investing in blockchain infrastructure, gaming and tokenized ecosystems.
The development underscores a wider migration trend in the industry, where firms are diversifying regulatory exposure and targeting regions perceived as innovation-friendly. For Dubai, each high-profile authorization strengthens its claim as a gateway between Asian capital and Western markets.
On-Chain Activity Signals Renewed Risk Appetite
Separately, blockchain data tracked by Arkham Intelligence showed a newly created wallet deploying approximately $2.75 million worth of USD Coin into WLFI in a single transaction. The size and speed of the allocation drew attention among market participants monitoring early-stage token flows.
Large inflows from fresh wallets are often interpreted as speculative positioning, particularly when capital is concentrated into a single asset. While such transactions do not necessarily indicate institutional participation, they can amplify short-term volatility and liquidity dynamics.
Together, the licensing milestone in Dubai and notable on-chain accumulation activity point to a market environment where regulatory structuring and opportunistic capital deployment are unfolding in parallel. As jurisdictions compete for crypto firms and traders rotate into emerging tokens, the interplay between oversight and risk-taking continues to define the sector’s next phase.
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