Canadian investment fund manager 3iQ has teamed up with Abu Dhabi-based alternative investments firm AltNovel to launch the first multi-strategy digital assets fund in the Middle East.

3iQ and AltNovel, a platform regulated by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority, announced the launch of the AltNovel Digital Access Portfolio in an announcement on May 7. 

The product is the first digital asset multi-strategy fund in the Middle East.

ADAP targets qualified institutional investors, offering reduced correlation to traditional assets and hedge funds. It also seeks to offer investors access to improved risk-adjusted returns versus assets like Bitcoin (BTC) and stocks.

With eyes on diversified and balanced exposure for institutional investors, ADAP is designed to deliver lower volatility and drawdowns. According to AltNovel, the fund targets annualized returns of 20% or more, while mitigating drawdowns to lows of 2.4%.

The new fund will be key to institutional investors looking to tap into the digital assets space in the United Arab Emirates’ Abu Dhabi international financial center. ADAP will bridge local private wealth markets and global investment opportunities, democratizing access via blockchain technology.

“This partnership is a milestone for AltNovel as we continue to focus on bringing high quality investment solutions to private investors in the GCC from our home in the ADGM,” said Stergios Voskopoulos, chief executive officer of AltNovel.

“Digital assets represent the next frontier in portfolio diversification, and this collaboration with a sector leader like 3iQ aligns with our commitment to offering forward institutional-grade, highly customizable digital asset investment opportunities tailored to their evolving needs.”

The fund’s launch is another recent milestone for 3iQ, a firm founded in 2012. The platform was the first to unveil a Bitcoin and Ethereum exchange-traded product listed on a global stock exchange.

3iQ also integrated staking into its Ethereum ETP’s and recently became one of the first companies to launch the first Solana staking exchange-traded fund in Canada.