VALR Adds Tokenized US Stocks to Crypto Platform
Africa’s leading cryptocurrency exchange, VALR, has introduced xStocks, a new feature that allows users to trade tokenized versions of US-listed equities. This makes VALR the first platform in Africa to provide this type of investment opportunity.
What are xStocks?
VALR's xStocks enable users to gain exposure to popular US stocks like Tesla, NVIDIA, Robinhood, Circle, and Coinbase in a tokenized format. These tokens, which Backed launched in May 2025, represent 1:1-backed tokenized versions of the underlying equities and ETFs.
Key Features of xStocks:
- Trading Pairs: xStocks can be traded against TetherUSD (USDT), Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and the South African Rand (ZAR) on VALR’s Spot market.
- No Ownership Rights: It's important to note that xStocks do not confer ownership rights, voting rights, or any other shareholder privileges.
Democratizing Finance in Africa
According to VALR CEO Farzam Ehsani, the launch of xStocks is a significant step toward democratizing finance in South Africa and beyond. VALR aims to make global financial assets more accessible through cryptocurrency.
“By blending crypto and traditional finance, we are forging a financial system that brings down barriers and serves many more with unprecedented ease,” said Ehsani. “This initiative not only strengthens VALR’s global profile but also reaffirms our commitment to bringing innovation and progress to our phenomenal community of VALR users.”
Backed's Perspective
David Henderson, Head of Growth at Backed, emphasized that this move aligns with their mission to expand the accessibility of tokenized equities worldwide.
“We have seen incredible adoption of these assets, and now users from Africa will be able to access them on VALR, participating in tokenised capital markets,” Henderson added.
About VALR
Founded in 2018, VALR supports over 1,400 corporate and institutional clients and has more than 1.5 million users globally. The exchange has raised $55 million in equity funding from investors including Pantera Capital, Coinbase Ventures, GSR, and F-Prime (affiliated with Fidelity Investments).
At Codeum, we support innovative platforms like VALR by ensuring the security and reliability of their blockchain infrastructure. Our services include smart contract audits, KYC verification, and custom smart contract development. Contact us to secure your blockchain project.