Galaxy Launches Abu Dhabi Arm to Grow Middle East Presence

Galaxy Digital isn't just dipping a toe in the Middle East—it's planting a flag. The crypto giant just launched a new arm in Abu Dhabi, a move that signals a serious strategic pivot toward one of the world's most ambitious financial hubs.

Why Abu Dhabi? Follow the Money (and the Rules)

This isn't about tourism. Abu Dhabi's financial free zone, ADGM, has been quietly building a comprehensive, crypto-friendly regulatory framework for years. For a firm like Galaxy, navigating post-FTX scrutiny, that kind of clarity is pure gold. It's a regulated on-ramp to a region flush with sovereign wealth and hungry for digital asset diversification.

The Real Play: Institutional Onboarding

Forget retail hype. The target here is the region's vast pools of institutional capital—family offices, sovereign funds, and high-net-worth investors who've been watching from the sidelines. Galaxy's new base provides a trusted, local gateway for these players to finally allocate to crypto, offering everything from asset management to tailored advisory services.

A Calculated Bet on Geopolitical Shifts

The launch is a bet on more than just local demand. It positions Galaxy at the crossroads of East-West capital flows. As global financial networks fragment, the Middle East is emerging as a critical neutral hub. Controlling a node there isn't expansion; it's future-proofing.

One cynical finance jab? It's the oldest play in the book: go where the money is, and where the regulators are just cooperative enough to not ask too many questions. Galaxy's Abu Dhabi move isn't a leap of faith—it's a spreadsheet-driven land grab in the next frontier for institutional crypto. The race for legitimacy has a new zip code.

Galaxy Posts Strong Q3 as It Joins $1.65B Solana Fund

The MOVE comes as Galaxy reports strong financial performance, including $505 million in net income for Q3 2025 and $3.2 billion in equity.

The firm has remained active across the crypto landscape, with recent involvement in a planned $1.65 billion solana treasury fund alongside Cantor Fitzgerald, Multicoin Capital and Jump Crypto.

Managing director Bouchra Darwazah highlighted the importance of the Middle East, describing it as a center of capital, innovation and investor sophistication.

She added that the new office will support Galaxy’s ambition to position itself as a leading global digital asset investment and infrastructure firm.

Galaxy is officially expanding into Abu Dhabi.

Today, we announced our new @ADGlobalMarket office, strengthening our global reach and deepening our commitment to one of the world’s most dynamic financial centers.

Read the announcement here: https://t.co/YEw7dZw8ae pic.twitter.com/hifgY2F05J

Galaxy joins a growing list of digital asset companies turning to the UAE as a base for Middle East expansion.

Both Dubai and Abu Dhabi have approved registrations for major global exchanges over the past year, including Binance and Bybit.

Stablecoin firms have also secured key approvals. In November, ADGM allowed regulated companies to issue Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin, while this week the financial center recognized Tether’s USDt as an accepted fiat-referenced token.

Circle also received authorization to operate as a financial service provider, paving the way for wider use of USDC in the region.

Tether, Binance Secure Regulatory Approval in ADGM

Galaxy’s arrival underscores the UAE’s drive to attract major players as it positions itself as a global leader in digital asset regulation and infrastructure.

As reported, Tether’s USDT stablecoin has also secured regulatory recognition as an approved fiat-referenced token across a wide range of blockchains inside the ADGM.

Tether said ADGM now permits licensed institutions in the financial free zone to conduct regulated activities involving USDT across Aptos, Celo, Cosmos, Kaia, Near, Polkadot, Tezos, TON and TRON.

These approvals expand on earlier recognition for USDT on Ethereum, Solana and Avalanche.

On Monday, Binance disclosed that it has also secured full authorization to operate its flagship Binance.com platform under ADGM oversight, a milestone that comes after years of regulatory scrutiny.

Binance will operate through three distinct legal entities in the zone, an exchange, a clearing house and a broker-dealer, reflecting a traditional financial-market structure designed to enable regulated trading, custody, settlement and off-exchange services.