VALR, the largest crypto exchange in South Africa, is driving crypto adoption in Africa through clear regulations and licensing structures. The platform has expanded internationally, obtaining licenses in South Africa, the EU, and initial approvals in Dubai and Hong Kong. VALR offers unique products like crypto lending with hourly interest and a proprietary liquidity pool. The exchange supports spot trading, leveraged margin trading, and futures contracts. VALR plans to expand into traditional financial products, offering more tools and markets to its users.

“We noticed that the market in South Africa was underserved and saw a significant demand for crypto assets,“ said chief operating officer Gianluca Sacco, describing the origins of VALR , the largest crypto exchange in South Africa, during Cointelegraph’s recent AMA. He was joined by his colleague, chief marketing officer Ben Caselin. On becoming Africa’s largest crypto exchange [Brought to you by @VALRdotcom ] https://t.co/w286WGMldC — Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph) March 12, 2025 Launched seven years ago, VALR has expanded beyond the continent to serve customers internationally. The platform has received licenses in South Africa, obtained approval to serve the European Union via Poland, is applying for a license in the Cayman Islands, and has initial approval in Dubai, along with potential expansion into Hong Kong. “We care a lot about the product, its development and our users - that’s why we continue to stay in the market and that’s what sets us apart,“ Sacco noted. Speakers highlighted South Africa’s progressive regulatory framework, which supports the adoption and growth of crypto. “We’re in a very good place,“ said Caselin. “Crypto traction is much more pronounced in emerging markets than it is in the US or Europe. This is related to the quality of the financial system.“ “Crypto has real use cases in Africa, as it helps people make cross-border transactions freely, easily and more cheaply, and provides a way to invest outside of government control,“ added Sacco. “One of the most attractive assets for people in Africa is dollar stablecoins and Bitcoin. And VALR is actually one of the largest global minters of USDC globally, providing US dollar on-ramps wherever our customers are located.“ “ Crypto lending will become more relevant to crypto natives as the industry matures. I think the focus will shift from active trading to finding yield opportunities as the crypto markets stabilize,“ Sacco said. “And lending on our platform is pretty interesting because of the rates and the liquidity.“ The VALR lending product, which launched in January 2025, allows users to earn hourly interest on their crypto assets. “It’s paid directly into your wallet every hour, which you can then trade and withdraw. You can also unlock your funds within an hour. There’s a lot of demand for this in the African captive market that we operate in. You can lend at rates that can’t be matched elsewhere, either in CEXs or DeFi protocols, because of the structural differences on the African continent,“ Sacco noted. He explained some details of the unique market dynamics: “Crypto, especially in South Africa, often trades at a premium to the rest of the world because it’s in short supply here. This is largely due to capital controls, which make crypto scarce and drive up prices due to simple supply and demand economics.“ Among other features, VALR boasts its own liquidity pool , which is in contrast to most exchanges that rely on each other. “It gives us our own rhythm and price dynamics, which makes VALR an attractive addition to a trader’s portfolio of exchanges,“ Caselin said. In addition, VALR offers financial flexibility by supporting spot trading and leveraged spot margin trading on nearly 50 crypto pairs and perpetual futures contracts, with up to 20x leverage coming soon. Users can conveniently manage their funds through a single account and create as many sub-accounts as needed to isolate risks and strategies. Accounts that fall below a certain health threshold are liquidated gradually, typically in small increments of about 10%, rather than all at once. “We try very hard to be gentle with the liquidations,“ Sacco emphasized, noting that they aim to protect user control and funds by stopping the liquidation once the minimum account health is restored. For futures trading specifically, there are mechanisms in place to quickly settle and manage bankrupt accounts. VALR runs various trading competitions, including the current one focused on trading frequency between Bitcoin and Tether Gold, that encourage anyone to participate. “On most exchanges, you have to sign up or register for contests, but with us, you’re in by default,“ Caselin said. In the Spot Margin competition that will run until the end of March, traders compete across 43 eligible trading pairs, with the top 20 by volume sharing a total prize of $10,000 USDT at the end of the month. In addition, the top traders on each individual pair receive additional rewards. Additional tools, order types and value markets are expected to be launched on VALR. “We also want to expand into traditional products,“ said Sacco, “such as a top 10 index. Equities and bonds are also high on our radar, which will give our clients access to new markets.“ Explore VALR now Disclaimer. Cointelegraph does not endorse any content or product on this page. While we aim at providing you with all important information that we could obtain in this sponsored article, readers should do their own research before taking any actions related to the company and carry full responsibility for their decisions, nor can this article be considered as investment advice. 

VALR Drives Cryptocurrency Adoption and Growth in Africa