# 3iQ Middle East Gets Conditional Abu Dhabi Category 4 Approval

By Riza Dagoc

Canonical URL: https://www.tokenpost.com/news/regulation/30059
Published: 2026-10-12T05:31:24.000Z
Updated: 2026-10-12T05:31:24.000Z
Section: Regulation

> The UAE-based sister company must satisfy remaining requirements before receiving final permission to conduct regulated activities in Abu Dhabi Global Market.

3iQ’s UAE-based sister company, 3iQ Middle East Ltd, received conditional in-principle approval for a Category 4 license in Abu Dhabi Global Market, expanding the firm’s planned regulated presence in a major digital-asset hub.

The approval was announced Oct. 12, 2026, at 12:15 a.m. ET (4:15 a.m. UTC). It was granted by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Abu Dhabi Global Market, an international financial center in the United Arab Emirates.

The approval does not authorize 3iQ Middle East to begin regulated activities. The company must satisfy remaining requirements before receiving a Financial Services Permission, and the final scope of that permission has not been specified.

ADGM’s Category 4 framework includes advising on investments or credit and arranging deals in investments. The approval follows 3iQ’s strategic partnership with Further, a UAE-based digital-asset investment manager, to develop a multi-strategy hedge fund for institutional and sophisticated investors.

The partnership uses 3iQ’s Managed Account Platform, or QMAP, which has attracted $100 million in sovereign-linked seed capital. The partnership was announced in October 2025.

“3iQ has been a huge believer in the UAE as a key digital asset hub with an advanced regulatory regime that protects investors,” Pascal St-Jean, CEO of 3iQ and Coincheck Group, said in the announcement.

The company’s Middle East operations are led by Rachel Pether, its head of Middle East. “This is an exciting development for 3iQ and has materialised following constructive collaboration with the ADGM's proactive regulator,” Pether said.

3iQ aims to operate in major digital-asset hubs and has Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) exchange-traded products. The next step in Abu Dhabi is completion of the outstanding conditions before the final permission is issued.