Dubai — DeFi Technologies Inc., a financial technology company bridging traditional capital markets and decentralised finance (DeFi), has announced its expansion in the GCC and MENA region with the registration of DEFI DMCC with offices in Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai, UAE.
DeFi Technologies, through its subsidiary Valour, and Valour Digital Securities Limited, a leading issuer of exchange-traded products (ETPs), has also opened a trading desk at DMCC (Dubai Multi Commodities Center) in the UAE.
The DeFi Technologies team and its subsidiary Valour aim to support the increased institutional interest in digital assets in the GCC region and specifically in the UAE. This expansion into the Middle East is a key element of the strategy to expand product offerings and increase the global footprint.
As the first Nasdaq-listed digital asset manager of its kind, DeFi Technologies offers equity investors diversified exposure to the broader decentralized economy through its integrated and scalable business model. This includes Valour, which offers access to more than 65 of the world’s most innovative digital assets via regulated ETPs with plans to offer 100 by the end of 2025. With regulatory momentum, product velocity, and institutional credibility converging, DEFT is positioning itself as the BlackRock of Web3.
Globally, institutional capital is pouring into spot Bitcoin and Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and in the Middle East and in the UAE in specific this is also becoming a trend. Recently, UAE sovereign wealth fund Mubadala announced it expanded its position in BlackRock’s bitcoin ETF showcasing the latest example of institutions increasingly turning to non-traditional exposures wrapped in an ETF.
Bitcoin ETPs are facilitating greater exposure for investors who had been interested in crypto but want a familiar and efficient wrapper. Currently, total assets under management in crypto ETPs have reached $176.3 billion.
Andrew Forson, President of DeFi Technologies and Chief Growth Officer of Valour, said, “ We believe the demand for digital asset ETPs will increase not only globally but in the GCC and Middle East.
“Investors whether sovereign wealth funds, institutional investors, family offices and even retail investors are interested in crypto but require familiar and efficient vehicles to get exposure.”
He adds, “Wrapping digital assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum in regulated financial instruments such as ETPs will increase the number of crypto investors and offer countries such as the UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Saudi Arabia access to international foreign investment. Local and international get exposure to these assets through trusted providers like the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange, Dubai Financial Markets, and others.”
Already DeFi Technologies has expanded into Turkey through a collaboration with Misyon Bank, and Misyon Kripto to work to introduce ETPs. In Turkey currently over 50% of investor population are holding digital assets.
In 2024, DeFi Technologies through its subsidiary Valour partnered with GulfCap Investment Bank (“GCIB”), a licensed investment bank as its key Transaction Advisor for the proposed cross-listing of Valour’s ETPs on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (“NSE”) in Kenya. The proposed cross-listing will allow Valour’s ETPs to be traded in Kenyan Shillings on the NSE and provide investors in East Africa with exposure to leading digital assets through regulated investment vehicles.
In Europe DeFi Technologies subsidiary Valour currently offers 65+ fully hedged digital asset ETPs on leading European exchanges including Xetra, Spotlight, and Euronext.
