CEX FSCA FSP #53308 (ZA) MAURITIUS FSC PENDING
VALR review
South Africa's leading crypto exchange
The verdict
7.2 / 10 · CONSIDER
VALR (Johannesburg, founded 2018) is South Africa's largest crypto exchange. FSCA-licensed Crypto Asset Service Provider (FSP #53308, April 2024). Backed by Pantera Capital, Coinbase Ventures, Avon Ventures ($55M Series B). Strong African presence — ZAR + USD fiat rails; expanding into Mauritius, Zambia, Kenya 2025. Lower fees than Luno on advanced trading.
◆ BUY IT IF
- FSCA-licensed — strongest South Africa regulatory posture
- Lower fees than Luno on Pro tier
- Wider token coverage than Luno
- Pantera Capital + Coinbase Ventures backing
◇ SKIP IT IF
- Limited liquidity outside ZA / SSA markets
- USD off-ramp goes through partner (no direct USD bank)
- Customer support quality varies
- Smaller scale than Binance Africa
§ 01 SCORE BREAKDOWN
Seven axes, weighted.
DIMENSION WEIGHT RATING SCORE
Regulatory safety
FSCA Crypto Asset Service Provider licence (FSP #53308, April 2024 — Categories I + II). Mauritius FSC pending
Trading fees
Maker 0.16% · Taker 0.26%
Coin selection
100 coins supported
Liquidity
CEX — order-book depth
User experience
Security
Support
§ 02 SPECIFICATIONS
Everything, in one table.
Regulation
- Regulatory status
- FSCA Crypto Asset Service Provider licence (FSP #53308, April 2024 — Categories I + II). Mauritius FSC pending. Bank of Mauritius cooperation.
- KYC required
- Yes
- Proof of Reserves
- No
- Founded
- 2018
- Type
- CEX
Fees
- Maker fee
- 0.16%
- Taker fee
- 0.26%
- Withdrawal fee
- Variable
Trading
- Spot trading
- Yes
- Futures trading
- Yes
- Margin trading
- Yes
- Copy trading
- No
- Supported coins
- 100
Other features
- Earn / staking
- Yes
- Debit card
- No
- Fiat on-ramp
- No
§ 03 FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Is VALR safe to use? +
VALR FSCA Crypto Asset Service Provider licence (FSP #53308, April 2024 — Categories I + II). Mauritius FSC pending. Bank of Mauritius cooperation..
What are VALR's trading fees? +
VALR charges 0.16% maker fee and 0.26% taker fee.
How many coins does VALR support? +
VALR supports 100 coins and tokens. Spot trading is available. Futures trading is also supported.
◆ OPEN ACCOUNT
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