VALR Secures Provisional VASP License in the Cayman Islands

South African digital asset infrastructure platform VALR announced on 25 May 2026 that it has received provisional approval from the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA) to operate as a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP). The license allows VALR to offer trading between fiat and crypto, crypto-to-crypto exchange, custody services, and cross-border transfer of virtual assets.

The provisional license supports VALR’s international expansion plans, targeting institutional capital flows between African and global markets. The company already holds Category I and II licenses from South Africa’s Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) as well as ODP and TPPP licenses for payments infrastructure. VALR is also registered as a credit provider with South Africa's National Credit Regulator.

“This provisional approval marks an important step in expanding VALR’s digital asset infrastructure services to a broader global client base,” said Farzam Ehsani, Co-Founder and CEO of VALR. He noted that VALR has built nearly a decade of expertise as Africa’s leading digital asset platform, serving retail, corporate and institutional clients globally. Ehsani added that the company is a significant player in stablecoin markets and aims to enable more efficient payments and value movement worldwide.

VALR is now working with CIMA to meet final compliance conditions required for a full license. The company serves approximately 1.8 million registered users and over 2,000 institutional clients worldwide.

Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Johannesburg, VALR is backed by Pantera Capital, Coinbase Ventures and Fidelity’s F-Prime Capital. The exchange offers spot trading, margin trading, perpetual futures, staking, lending, borrowing, OTC services, VALR Invest, Crypto Bundles and VALR Pay. It is licensed by the FSCA and holds regulatory approval in Europe.