While a pinned post on Animoca Brands X, it explains that Animoca brands is a Web3 leader and not just a gaming incubator or metaverse builder, its listing on VARA ( Dubai’s Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority) now puts it on the way to becoming a regulated crypto broker, as it has received an in-principle approval for a crypto brokerage license from VARA Dubai in the UAE.
As per Animoca Brands on its pinned X post, Animoca Brands is far more than a simple gaming company. They state, “We started with games, but as the Web3 industry expanded, so did we. Our mission is to deliver digital property rights to the world’s internet users, thereby creating a new asset class and a more equitable digital framework to build the open metaverse. We believe that digital property rights are not limited to games. Therefore, we have built a diversified business that covers all facets of Web3.”
As such they categorized their business operations into Web3, digital asset services and investment management. Animoca Brands notes, “We firmly believe that in the future, fintech will no longer be a standalone category. Instead, it will deeply impact every business, similar to how the internet disrupted the world in its early inception. The role of Web3 is to fuel the next wave of innovation, making digital assets and financial services more accessible, scalable, and transparent.”
Already Animoca Brands in April 2025 opened an office in Dubai, UAE to meet the growing demands of Web3 organizations moving into the region. The company has also appointed Omar Elassar as managing director for the Middle East and head of global strategic partnerships. As per the press release, the Dubai office will serve as a hub to engage with both local and international partners to foster innovation, guide strategic direction and operations and develop partnerships.
Prior to that in 2024 Animoca Brand led a strategic funding round for UAE based Param Labs, an independent Web3 Blockchain gaming and technology studio for $7 million. Other investors included Delphi Ventures, Mechanism Capital, P2 ventures, Merit Circle, TRGC, MH Ventures, and UAE based Cypher Capital. This was not the only investment for Animoca Brands but one of many in UAE and KSA.
