A cluster of approvals issued within the city’s financial free zone gives the exchange a foundation it has never had before — an integrated, regulated operating stack covering trading, custody, settlement and brokerage functions.
Key Takeaways
Instead of slotting Binance into a single license category, Abu Dhabi Global Market approved separate business units, each responsible for a piece of market infrastructure. One entity will run the public-facing exchange, handling spot markets and futures. Another is built to function as the clearing and settlement layer, including custody. A third entity is tasked with brokerage, asset management and service operations.
For observers, the structure looks less like permission for a trading app and more like the assembly of a miniature financial ecosystem designed to meet institutional standards.
Richard Teng — previously a regional executive, now co-CEO — dodged questions about whether Abu Dhabi is effectively Binance’s headquarters. Yet his messaging suggested the emirate is where regulators will supervise Binance as a global platform, regardless of whether the firm ever declares a physical HQ.
For Binance, the approvals reflect an attempt to mature after years of friction with watchdogs. For the UAE, landing the world’s largest exchange serves as a live endorsement of its digital-asset strategy: disciplined, rules-driven, and designed to attract large operators rather than fringe players.
Officials openly described the step as evidence that their frameworks can safeguard users while giving innovators room to scale.
Unlike some jurisdictions that allow firms to passport registration without presence, ADGM requires licensed entities to physically anchor management, compliance oversight, technical operations, surveillance and staffing within its zone. In effect, Binance must run under Abu Dhabi’s roof rather than simply cite it on paperwork.
The exchange told users it expects to flip the switch on regulated services in early January 2026.
Binance didn’t arrive in the UAE empty-handed. Two years ago, Dubai gave the exchange clearance to operate under its virtual-asset regime. Abu Dhabi tech investor MGX later injected $2 billion into Binance, signaling alignment with the government’s digital strategy. These fresh licenses elevate that relationship, turning presence into governance authority.
With Abu Dhabi now overseeing Binance’s key market functions, the emirate advances its campaign to become the world’s most credible address for regulated crypto finance.
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