VALR introduces tokenized U.S. stock trading in South Africa

VALR, the largest crypto exchange in Africa by trade volume, has launched xStocks on its platform, becoming the first crypto exchange on the continent to offer tokenized U.S. equities trading, based on details shared with Finbold on July 31.

The service allows customers to gain price exposure to leading U.S.-listed companies including Tesla, Nvidia, Robinhood, Circle, and Coinbase through tokenization.

Farzam Ehsani, Co-Founder and CEO of VALR, emphasized the significance of the launch for African markets:

“The launch of xStocks on our platform represents a pivotal moment in advancing access to innovative products that brings choice and inclusion to people in South Africa, with a plan to make the product available to the continent and globally in the near future. By blending crypto and traditional finance, we are forging a financial system that brings down barriers and serves many more with unprecedented ease. 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.”

David Henderson, Head of Growth at Backed, commented on the partnership’s global expansion potential:

“We’re excited to have xStocks on VALR, marking another step in the xStocks mission to bring tokenised equities to users worldwide, in the platforms they use. We have seen incredible adoption for these assets, and now users from Africa will be able to access them on VALR, participating in tokenised capital markets.”

The introduction reflects the growing trend of tokenizing real-world assets and bridging traditional finance with cryptocurrency markets.

xStocks explained

xStocks are 1:1-backed tokenized representations of U.S.-listed equities and ETFs launched by Backed in May 2025. The tokens provide price exposure but do not grant ownership rights, voting rights, or other shareholder privileges to holders.

Users can trade these tokens on VALR’s spot market against USDT, other cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, or South African rand through the Simple Buy/Sell terminal.

The tokens can be deposited and withdrawn via the Solana network for cross-platform transactions. This launch follows VALR’s recent introduction of the Garrington Capital USD Private Credit Token (USDPC) as part of its VALR Invest initiative.

Featured image via Shutterstock.