South Korean crypto venture firm Hashed has officially secured a regulatory license to operate from Abu Dhabi Global Market, marking its entry into the Middle East’s regulated financial zone. The company’s group entity, Hashed Global Management Limited, received a Financial Services Permission from ADGM, which allows it to perform regulated activities such as investment advisory, credit advising, deal arrangement, asset management, and operating collective investment funds.
Under this license, Hashed Global Management Limited can now work with institutional investors within ADGM’s regulatory framework. The Financial Services Regulatory Authority oversees licensing and compliance for financial firms operating there. Seokwon Hong, the licensed director and senior executive officer of the entity, said that this permission sets the stage for HGML to collaborate with Middle Eastern institutional investors in a regulated environment.
Hashed plans to use this approval to position itself as a bridge between regional capital and global founders. The company aims to connect investment flows between the UAE and South Korea while expanding partnerships across different markets and ecosystems.
Growing Interest in ADGM
Interest in Abu Dhabi’s financial hub has grown as international crypto firms seek regulatory clarity in the region. ADGM is a special economic zone with its own legal and financial system, and it has attracted many firms looking to scale within a structured environment. Arvind Ramamurthy, chief market development officer at ADGM, noted that this milestone reflects the increasing momentum as leading firms choose Abu Dhabi to establish and expand their regional operations.
Recent approvals for firms like Binance, Circle, and Tether suggest a rising trend of major players entering the jurisdiction under regulated frameworks. Earlier this month, Ondo Finance also received approval within ADGM to offer tokenized U.S. stocks and exchange-traded funds through a regulated trading venue run by Binance, with oversight from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority.
Tokenized Assets and Market Access
Ondo Finance’s digital securities, structured as equity-linked notes, have been admitted for trading on a Multilateral Trading Facility. This setup allows investors to access tokenized shares of companies such as Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Tesla from outside the United States. It’s another example of how ADGM is becoming a hub for regulated digital asset innovation.
For Hashed, operating under ADGM’s license gives it a solid foundation to tap into Middle Eastern capital while maintaining compliance. The move suggests that South Korean crypto firms see value in expanding beyond their home market, especially into regions where regulatory frameworks are clearer. Whether this will lead to more cross-border investment flows remains to be seen, but the groundwork is certainly being laid.
