Binance Secures Regulatory Approval in Abu Dhabi

Binance Holdings has secured three separate licenses from Abu Dhabi’s financial regulator, marking one of the crypto exchange’s most significant regulatory achievements to date. The approvals—granted during Abu Dhabi Finance Week—cover Binance’s regulated exchange, clearing infrastructure, and broker-dealer operations. Collectively, they allow the company to operate a trading platform, manage custody and settlement, and provide off-exchange services from Abu Dhabi.

The exchange has not yet finalized a location for its global headquarters, though co-CEO Richard Teng has previously highlighted the UAE as a strong contender. Teng, who formerly held an executive role at ADGM, praised the region’s growing appeal for digital asset firms.

Binance maintains strong ties to Abu Dhabi, bolstered by a US$2 billion investment earlier this year from MGX, an AI-focused investor chaired by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Abu Dhabi, backed by roughly US$2 trillion in sovereign wealth, has been deepening its exposure to digital assets. The Abu Dhabi Investment Council (ADIC) more than tripled its stake in BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF during the third quarter, raising its holdings to nearly eight million shares worth around US$518 million as of Sept. 30, according to regulatory filings.

Meanwhile, Binance’s founder, Zhao Changpeng, stepped down as CEO in 2023 after pleading guilty to violating U.S. anti-money-laundering laws. The company agreed to pay over US$4.3 billion to settle a lengthy U.S. investigation. Zhao was later pardoned by U.S. President Donald Trump in October this year.