coinspress.com
Binance has secured a major regulatory victory in the United Arab Emirates, receiving authorizations that will allow it to operate a full-service trading, settlement, and brokerage stack from Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM).
The approvals come from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA), the independent oversight body responsible for supervising Abu Dhabi’s financial free zone.
The FSRA signed off on three legal entities — Nest Exchange Limited, Nest Clearing and Custody Limited, and Nest Trading Limited — each performing a separate function inside Binance’s operating framework. Nest Exchange will handle its marketplace activities, including spot and derivative trading. The clearing and custody arm will oversee settlement and safekeeping obligations, while Nest Trading Limited is licensed as a broker-dealer for execution services, custody arrangements, asset management and associated functions.
Binance co-CEO Richard Teng described the move as transformational for the exchange’s regulatory posture. He noted that the authorizations give Binance a recognized compliance jurisdiction for supervising its international liquidity flows and operational architecture. According to Teng, investors gain “peace of mind” from knowing their activity is anchored to what he called a “gold standard” regulatory framework.
The approval does not officially designate Abu Dhabi as Binance’s headquarters — the company has avoided locating itself in any single country to limit jurisdictional friction — but Teng implied that ADGM is where global regulators will interface with Binance moving forward. This is significant because the FSRA requires regulated entities to maintain “mind and management” functions inside the zone, meaning executive, commercial, compliance, technology and risk roles must actually operate within Abu Dhabi rather than existing on paper.
Binance plans to activate its regulated services beginning January 5, 2026. That aligns with a broader UAE strategy to position the country as a world leader for institutional-grade digital asset infrastructure. The exchange already maintains a license in Dubai and received a $2 billion strategic investment from Abu Dhabi-backed tech venture MGX in March.
For ADGM, the licensing represents reinforcement of its ambitions. The UAE has spent the last three years crafting frameworks to oversee financial innovation while signaling openness to high-profile players. Welcoming Binance — one of the largest global exchanges — allows regulators to argue that their oversight model can safeguard users without stifling development.
The milestone is expected to draw attention from other exchanges looking for regulated bases as global scrutiny intensifies. With Abu Dhabi asserting itself as the region’s most structured jurisdiction for digital markets, Binance’s approval may serve as a precedent accelerating industry migration into the emirate.