The number of open-ended mutual funds regulated in the Cayman Islands surpassed 13,000 for the first time during the first quarter of 2026, reaching a record 13,008 registrations as of March 31, according to a new industry report released by the Maples Group.
The report said the milestone exceeded the previous peak recorded in 2022 and reflects continued demand among fund managers and institutional investors for Cayman-domiciled investment fund structures. Maples Group, which said it acts for about one-third of all mutual funds registered with the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA), analysed open-ended funds launched between Jan. 1 and March 31, 2026.
Equity-focused funds remained the largest category of new launches, accounting for 34% of funds reviewed. Macro strategies represented 15%, while absolute return and multi-strategy funds each accounted for smaller shares. The report also highlighted growing interest in specialised strategies, including insurance-linked securities, digital assets, event-driven investments and asset-backed securities, which collectively represented about 12% of launches.
Digital assets continued to gain traction in the sector. According to the report, 19% of open-ended funds launched during the quarter expressly permitted investment in digital or crypto assets. The report also noted that nine tokenised funds are now registered with CIMA following recent legislative changes aimed at providing a regulatory framework for such products.
Artificial intelligence also featured more prominently in fund documentation. Approximately 38% of new funds included disclosures related to AI or machine-learning risks, while about 15% referenced AI or machine learning in their investment processes or operations. The report found that funds citing AI use were primarily concentrated among traditional hedge fund strategies such as equity, macro and multi-strategy funds.
The report linked ongoing geopolitical tensions and market volatility to changes in fund structures. More than half of new fund launches included redemption gate provisions, 36% incorporated side-pocket mechanisms for illiquid assets and nearly half featured lock-up periods. Overall, nearly 80% of new launches contained at least one liquidity-management tool.
Maples Group said the combination of increased digital-asset exposure, early adoption of tokenised fund structures, growing attention to AI and wider use of liquidity controls points to continued innovation in the Cayman Islands investment funds market.
