VALR Sponsors Kenya Blockchain & Crypto Conference
Johannesburg, South Africa, May 18th, 2026 – VALR, a leading digital asset infrastructure provider in Africa, served as a diamond sponsor of the Kenya Blockchain & Crypto Conference held in Nairobi on May 14th and 15th, 2026.
Peter Mwangi, VALR’s newly appointed Country Manager for Kenya, delivered a keynote address outlining his vision for Kenya as a burgeoning digital asset hub on the African continent. He drew parallels between the country’s early adoption of mobile money and the opportunities in digital asset payments, financial inclusion, and infrastructure. Shelley Havemann, VALR’s Head of Payments, participated in a panel discussion on stablecoins, the future of payments, and VALR’s role in transforming finance.
VALR also hosted a meetup in Nairobi for financial business leaders to explore partnership opportunities. These activities highlight VALR’s strategic focus on Kenya and its support for the country’s emerging digital asset ecosystem.
Kenya’s Digital Finance Leadership and Regulatory Advancements
Kenya is recognized for its early adoption of mobile money, which has driven significant advancements in financial inclusion, payments, and broader economic participation across the continent. Recent regulatory developments have strengthened this foundation. The Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASP) Act was enacted in October 2025 and came into force in November 2025. The finalization of the supporting 2026 VASP Regulations under the Capital Markets Authority establishes a clear licensing and oversight framework. This framework aligns Kenya with international standards, promotes investor protection and responsible innovation, and creates a solid base for digital asset growth. These steps reinforce the vision outlined in Mwangi’s keynote and position Kenya as an increasingly important digital asset market in Africa.
VALR’s Scale, Infrastructure, and Innovation
Founded in Johannesburg in 2018, VALR quickly became South Africa’s largest crypto exchange by trading volume and has since developed into Africa’s leading digital asset infrastructure provider. VALR processes more than $15 billion in stablecoin volumes annually and consistently ranks among the top 10 global minters of USDC. The platform serves over 1.8 million registered users and more than 2,000 corporate and institutional clients, including companies listed on the JSE and Nasdaq.
VALR offers institutional-grade infrastructure, including API integration, multi-account management, governance controls, an OTC desk, staking, lending, borrowing, VALR Pay, and crypto-as-a-service solutions. The company also recently launched its AI Service, which features a chat assistant for market analysis, account insights, and support, together with open API support for autonomous AI agents under the open Agent Skills Standard.
Through its conference participation and Nairobi meetup, VALR is bringing its expertise and infrastructure directly to Kenyan institutions and the wider African market. VALR welcomes discussions with Kenyan financial institutions and businesses interested in partnership opportunities.
About VALR
Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Johannesburg, VALR is a global crypto exchange and the leading digital asset infrastructure provider on the African continent. It is backed by investors including Pantera Capital, Coinbase Ventures, and Fidelity’s F-Prime Capital. VALR offers a comprehensive suite of products, including Spot Trading, Spot Margin, Perpetual Futures, Staking, Lending, Borrowing, OTC services, VALR Invest, Crypto Bundles, and VALR Pay. Licensed by South Africa’s FSCA, with regulatory approval in Europe, VALR serves over 1.8 million registered users and 2,000 corporate and institutional clients worldwide. The exchange is dedicated to advancing a just financial future that upholds human dignity and the unity of mankind.
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