GFO-X Expands Beyond UK With Abu Dhabi Regulatory Nod

Abu Dhabi Global Market has granted GFO-X Group in-principle approval to set up a digital asset exchange and clearing house, strengthening the emirate’s position as a center for regulated crypto markets.

Abu Dhabi Opens Door for GFO-X

Global Futures and Options Abu Dhabi Exchange Limited and GFO-X Abu Dhabi CCP Limited received approval from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of ADGM to operate as a Recognized Investment Exchange and a Recognized Clearing House. The companies are targeting a 2026 launch.

Arnab Sen, the CEO of GFO-X, said, “This approval is a pivotal step in our journey to build a globally interconnected, regulated marketplace for digital asset derivatives and complementary products.”

“ADGM’s regulatory sophistication and institutional-grade infrastructure make it an ideal jurisdiction for our next phase of growth to support digital assets and the benefits of collateral mobility,” he explained.

The approval extends GFO-X’s operations beyond the UK, where it runs the first FCA-authorized, centrally cleared digital asset derivatives Multilateral Trading Facility, and its technology base in Hong Kong.

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According to the company, the Abu Dhabi venue operates around the clock and allows digital assets to be used as margin within a centrally cleared framework. The model addresses counterparty risk and collateral inefficiencies that have limited institutional participation in digital asset derivatives.

The exchange will support both cash-settled and physically delivered derivatives, alongside other listed products, for traditional institutions and crypto-native investors.

Abu Dhabi’s Regulatory Edge

ADGM has established itself as a center for digital asset regulation, attracting firms seeking institutional-grade oversight. Arvind Ramamurthy, Chief Market Development Officer at ADGM, said the approval showed the free zone’s “forward-looking vision” and added that it created “an environment where innovation and trust go hand in hand.”

GFO-X is in advanced talks with institutional partners ahead of the planned 2026 rollout. With approvals in Abu Dhabi and the UK, and operations in Hong Kong, the group is building regulated infrastructure to support the integration of digital assets into global finance