ADGM Draws $4.4 Trillion in AUM Commitments at Milken 2026 as Abu Dhabi Deepens U.S. Finance Ties
Abu Dhabi Global Market, the international financial center operating under the ADGM brand, secured participation commitments from firms managing a combined $4.4 trillion in assets under management at the Milken Institute Global Conference 2026, the center announced Wednesday. Commitments came from firms including Coinbase (COIN) and Guggenheim Partners, deepening Abu Dhabi’s relationships across the U.S. financial ecosystem.
The announcement positions ADGM as one of the most active international financial hubs recruiting U.S. capital and institutional presence.
What the Milken Commitments Cover
The firms committing to ADGM represent a range of financial categories, from cryptocurrency exchanges to traditional asset managers. Coinbase’s participation signals continued interest from U.S. crypto companies in establishing a regulated presence in the Middle East, where licensing frameworks have become more defined and enforcement is predictable.
ADGM operates as a financial free zone on Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi, with its own independent legal and regulatory framework based on English common law.
The center issues its own financial services licenses through the Financial Services Regulatory Authority, which governs banking, capital markets, and digital asset activities within the zone.
The Milken Institute Global Conference is held annually in Beverly Hills and serves as a high-profile venue for capital allocation decisions and institutional relationship building across global finance.
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Background
ADGM has emerged as one of the most competitive licensing jurisdictions for cryptocurrency firms outside the United States and European Union. The center’s Digital Asset Framework, introduced in 2018 and updated through 2024, provides a clear regulatory path for exchanges, custodians, and digital asset managers.
Several major crypto firms, including Kraken’s parent Payward and Circle, hold full licenses under ADGM’s framework.
The broader trend of U.S. financial institutions and crypto companies establishing Middle East presences accelerated through 2024 and 2025, driven partly by regulatory uncertainty in the United States and partly by Gulf sovereign wealth funds deploying capital into digital assets. Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Company has been among the most active sovereign investors in global technology and cryptocurrency funds.
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Outlook
The $4.4 trillion AUM figure is a commitment measure rather than deployed capital, meaning actual inflows to ADGM will depend on each firm’s operational expansion timeline.
Watch for ADGM license announcements from Coinbase and other participants in the coming quarters. If U.S. regulatory clarity on cryptocurrency improves through the CLARITY Act process, some firms may choose to anchor domestically rather than expand into Abu Dhabi, which could slow conversion of Milken commitments into active presences.
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