VALR
VALR is Africa's largest cryptocurrency exchange by trade volume, serving over 1.8 million retail users and 2,000 institutional clients with spot, margin, futures, and OTC trading across 100+ crypto assets, backed by FSCA licensing and global partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersJohannesburg, South Africa
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What VALR does
VALR is a South African-headquartered cryptocurrency exchange founded in 2018 in Johannesburg, operating as Africa's largest crypto exchange by trade volume. The platform serves over 1.8 million registered retail users and approximately 2,000 corporate and institutional clients globally, offering spot trading, spot margin (up to 10x leverage), perpetual futures (up to 60x leverage), and over-the-counter (OTC) trading across 100+ crypto assets. The company holds Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) Category I and II crypto-asset service provider licenses, an OTC Derivatives Provider license, a Financial Services Provider license, and has secured European regulatory approval, alongside a 1:1 Proof of Reserves verification by Hacken.
The platform is built on an institutional-grade technology stack comprising a low-latency REST and WebSocket API with shared sub-accounts and dual-authorization governance, complemented by consumer products including VALR Pay (free international remittances across 70+ cryptocurrencies), Variable Earn (lending), Steady Returns (liquid staking for SOL/AVAX/TRX), xStocks (tokenized US equities), Auto-Buy (dollar-cost averaging), and themed Crypto Bundles. Distribution is anchored by self-serve web and mobile channels plus strategic integrations: Onafriq extends mobile money deposits to 43 African markets, MoonPay enables fiat-to-crypto across 180+ countries, and Ripple deploys RLUSD stablecoin distribution for cross-border settlement.
Revenue is generated primarily through volume-based, tiered transaction fees (Silver/Gold/Diamond VIP levels), OTC trading spreads (minimum $50,000 tickets), staking and lending economics, and remittance spreads. The go-to-market motion combines product-led self-serve onboarding for retail, API-first infrastructure for professional and algorithmic traders, and enterprise field sales with dedicated relationship managers for institutional OTC. VALR has raised approximately $55 million in equity funding, including a $50 million Series B led by Pantera Capital in March 2022 at a $240 million valuation, with backing from Coinbase Ventures, F-Prime Capital, and others.
VALR firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- VALR
- Legal name
- VALR (Pty) Ltd
- Website
- https://valr.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- VALR is Africa's largest cryptocurrency exchange by trade volume, serving over 1.8 million retail users and 2,000 institutional clients with spot, margin, futures, and OTC trading across 100+ crypto assets, backed by FSCA licensing and global partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where VALR is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Johannesburg
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
VALR business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Trading Fees: VALR generates revenue primarily through trading fees charged on spot, margin, and futures transactions. The platform operates a volume-based fee tier system (tiers 6-9) with VIP levels (Silver, Gold, Diamond) based on 30-day trading volume.
- OTC Trading Fees: Over-the-counter trading service for institutional clients with minimum $50,000 ticket sizes, offering competitive pricing and no slippage for large orders.
- Staking and Lending Services: VALR earns revenue through liquid staking services and the Variable Earn lending platform, where users can earn yield by lending funds to the VALR loan book for margin trading.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Silver VIP Level - 10M USDT spot volume requirement |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Gold VIP Level - 20M USDT spot volume requirement |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Diamond VIP Level - 250M USDT spot volume requirement |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | OTC Trading - Minimum $50,000 ticket size |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Simple Buy & Sell - Retail trading |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
VALR product offering
Product offeringCore offering
VALR operates a cryptocurrency exchange platform offering spot, margin (up to 10x), perpetual futures (up to 60x), and OTC trading across 100+ crypto assets for over 1.8 million users globally. The platform additionally provides Simple Buy & Sell, VALR Pay (free international transfers), Variable Earn (crypto lending), Steady Returns (liquid staking), xStocks (tokenized US equities), and Crypto Bundles, supported by an institutional-grade API and FSCA regulatory licensing in South Africa.
Product overview
VALR is a comprehensive cryptocurrency exchange platform offering a multi-layered product portfolio. The core exchange (VALR Exchange Platform) provides spot, margin (up to 10x), perpetual futures (up to 60x), and OTC trading across 100+ crypto assets. Additional financial services include Simple Buy & Sell for fiat-to-crypto conversion, VALR Pay for free international transfers, Variable Earn for crypto lending with hourly yields, and Steady Returns for liquid staking. The platform extends into tokenized traditional assets via xStocks (US stocks/ETFs) and themed crypto portfolios through Crypto Bundles. VALR serves both retail (with Auto-Buy, VIP Programme, and trading competitions) and institutional clients (through dedicated Business accounts, sub-accounts with dual authorization, and white-glove OTC services). An institutional-grade REST/WebSocket API enables developers and trading firms to build integrated trading solutions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- xStocks: Tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs trading platform offering 24/7 access to American equities.
- VALR Pay
- Variable Earn
- Steady Returns
Products and services
- VALR Exchange Platform
- Simple Buy & Sell
- Spot Trading
- Margin Trading
- Perpetual Futures Trading
- API Trading
- OTC Trading Desk
- Variable Earn (Crypto Lending)
- Steady Returns (Liquid Staking)
- VALR Pay
- VALR Wallet
- VALR for Business
- xStocks
- Crypto Bundles
- VALR VIP Programme
Quantifiable outcome
- 1:1 Proof of Reserves verified by Hacken audit ensuring all digital assets are fully backed
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use VALR
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
VALR technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
AI capability2 records
Feature5 records
VALR partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- RipplecoreRipple deployed its RLUSD stablecoin (approximately $1.78 billion market capitalization) in Africa through partnerships including VALR, targeting high remittance costs (nearly 10% loss per transaction) and the 41% unbanked population. VALR serves as a distribution platform for RLUSD stablecoin for cross-border settlement.
- OnafriqcoreVALR partnered with Onafriq, Africa's leading digital payments gateway, to enable users across 43 African markets to fund their crypto accounts directly using mobile money in local currencies. The integration leverages Onafriq's network of nearly 1 billion mobile money wallets, with deposits settled in stablecoins. This partnership accelerates financial inclusion by bridging mobile money ecosystems with digital asset platforms.
- MoonPaycoreVALR partnered with MoonPay to enable fiat-to-crypto transactions across over 180 countries, supporting 34 fiat currencies through various payment methods including Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayNow, PayPal, and credit/debit cards. The partnership specifically targets emerging markets facing inflation and currency instability.
- DHL StormersminorVALR sponsors the DHL Stormers rugby team as part of its brand marketing and community engagement strategy in South Africa.
Scale indicators15 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
VALR competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Yellow Card: Yellow Card is a pan-African cryptocurrency exchange and on/off-ramp network operating across more than 20 African countries. It is a direct peer to VALR in the African crypto brokerage category, with comparable retail focus, mobile-money integrations, and a goal of financial inclusion through stablecoin-based rails.
- Luno: Luno is a South Africa-founded cryptocurrency exchange (now part of Digital Currency Group) serving retail and institutional clients across Africa and other emerging markets. It is the most direct regional competitor to VALR, with overlapping ZAR on/off-ramps, similar CEX product suite (spot, staking, API), and a comparable regulatory profile in South Africa.
- Quidax: Quidax is a Nigerian-licensed cryptocurrency exchange offering spot trading, NGN fiat rails, and APIs for African fintechs. It competes with VALR for African retail traders and developer/finatech customers, with comparable product scope (spot, OTC, API) and a similar emerging-market growth thesis.
Broad incumbents
- Binance: Binance is the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, serving retail and institutional clients globally including across Africa. It is a broad incumbent that competes with VALR on liquidity depth, token listings, fee tiers, and derivative products, while also serving as a key distribution competitor through its P2P fiat network in African markets.
- KuCoin: KuCoin is a global cryptocurrency exchange serving retail and professional traders with a wide token selection and derivatives products. It is comparable to VALR's broad CEX offering and increasingly relevant to African users given its international footprint.
- Coinbase: Coinbase is a US-listed, regulated cryptocurrency exchange with global institutional and consumer offerings. Coinbase Ventures is also a VALR investor, making Coinbase both a strategic partner and a broad incumbent competitor across advanced trading, custody, and institutional services.
- Bybit: Bybit is a global derivatives-focused cryptocurrency exchange offering spot, margin, and high-leverage perpetual futures. It overlaps with VALR's professional and pro-trader segments, especially the 60x-leverage futures product line that anchors VALR's VIP tier economics.
- Kraken: Kraken is a US-based, regulated cryptocurrency exchange known for advanced spot and margin trading, staking, and institutional services. It is a broad incumbent comparable to VALR's pro-trading and institutional API offering, although it does not specifically target African retail.
- OKX: OKX is a global cryptocurrency exchange with deep derivatives liquidity, spot markets, and a unified Web3 wallet. It competes with VALR on perpetual futures, margin, and trading APIs, and has been expanding its presence in African markets through P2P and local fiat rails.
Emerging players
- Paxful: Paxful (rebranded as NoOnes) is a peer-to-peer Bitcoin marketplace with a historically strong African user base and mobile-money payment support. It is an emerging player that overlaps with VALR's retail and remittance use cases, particularly across Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
VALR social profiles
Digital presenceVALR compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
VALR financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
VALR leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
VALR funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors14 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
VALR M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about VALR
What does VALR do?
VALR operates a cryptocurrency exchange platform offering spot, margin (up to 10x), perpetual futures (up to 60x), and OTC trading across 100+ crypto assets for over 1.8 million users globally. The platform additionally provides Simple Buy & Sell, VALR Pay (free international transfers), Variable Earn (crypto lending), Steady Returns (liquid staking), xStocks (tokenized US equities), and Crypto Bundles, supported by an institutional-grade API and FSCA regulatory licensing in South Africa.
Is VALR a public or private company?
VALR is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was VALR founded?
VALR was founded in 2018. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is VALR based?
VALR is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does VALR make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Trading Fees are the primary driver. The others are OTC Trading Fees and staking and Lending Services.
Who are VALR's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Yellow Card, Luno and Quidax. Broad incumbents are Binance, KuCoin, Coinbase, Bybit, Kraken and OKX. Paxful is listed as an emerging player.
Does VALR have an API?
Yes. VALR offers a public REST API and WebSocket API for real-time and historical market data, account management, trading, and sub-account management. Features include shared accounts with customizable permissions for trading firms and institutions, highly competitive rate limits, and over 99% uptime with low-latency endpoints. API supports spot, margin, and perpetual futures trading with up to 60x leverage across major crypto pairs. Developer documentation is at docs.valr.com.