Fund registrations in the Cayman Islands climbed above 31,000 in the first half of 2026, as private funds registrations reached a record high, according to new data.
Cayman Finance reported that there were 547 new funds added during the six-month period to bring the total number of regulated funds domiciled in the Cayman Islands to 31,145.
The total comprises 18,132 private funds and 13,013 mutual funds.
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The data, published in the second quarter fund statistics by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority, revealed that private fund registrations rose by 410 in the first half of 2026 and have increased by 43 per cent since the end of 2020.
Cayman Finance attributed the growth in private funds to strong institutional demand for private credit, despite an increase in redemptions from retail investors.
It also pointed to the evolution of fund structures, in particular through the increased use of continuation vehicles and “hybrid approaches” combining primary commitments, secondary purchases and co-investment rights.
According to data from the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the jurisdiction accounts for approximately 31 per cent of all US private fund assets.
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“Cayman added 547 new funds in the first half of the year, comfortably ahead of the 448 recorded in the whole of 2025,” said Samantha Widmer, director and head of funds and capital markets at Cayman Finance. “The growth comes from institutional investors increasing their private market allocations, greater demand for continuation vehicles and a steady flow of new hedge fund launches.”
Since Cayman’s statutory framework for tokenised fund structures came into force in March 2026, 12 tokenised funds are now registered in Cayman, including Fidelity International’s first tokenised fund.
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