VALR offers access to 36 Spot, 10 Margin, and 13 Futures Crypto pairs. It offers a 0.01% reward for market makers (those who make fiat pairs orders) and up to 30% in commissions to its affiliates.
The taker fee for Spot/Margin trading is 0.05%, and for Futures is 0.04% or 0.03% for VIP clients.
VALR; Company Information and Regulation
VALR (Pty) Ltd was founded in 2018 by CEO Farzam Ehsani. The company is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The crypto exchange is licensed and registered as a financial services provider (FSP #53308). Key features of VALR:
- Registered with the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) in South Africa
- Backed by prominent investors, including Pantera and GSR
The exchange is also allowed to operate in Europe through its VASP license from the Ministry of Finance and the Tax Administration Chamber of Poland.
VALR Exchange Specific Features
The platform offers a robust set of features designed to cater to both beginners and advanced traders, including:
Exchange | VALR |
Launch Date | 2018 |
Levels | Standard, VIP |
Trading Fees | Spot Maker / Taker (0% / 0.05%) Futures Maker / Taker (0% / 0.04%) |
Restricted Countries | Canada, Cuba, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, North Korea, Russia, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, United States Of America |
Supported Coins | 75 |
Futures Trading | Yes |
Minimum Deposit | ZAR 0.0, $10, €1 |
Deposit Methods | Wire Transfer, SEPA, EFT, South African Credit / Debit Cards |
Withdrawal Methods | Crypto, Bank Transfer (ZAR) |
Maximum Leverage | 1:10 |
Minimum Trade Size | Variable based on the asset |
Security Factors | Cold Storage, 2FA, SSL encryption |
Services | VALR Pay, Staking, Lending, Futures Trading |
Customer Support Ways | Chatbot, Email, Help Center, Ticket |
Customer Support Hours | 24/7 |
Fiat Deposit | Yes |
Affiliate Program | Yes |
Orders Execution | Market |
Native Token | None |
VALR Pros and Cons
Founded by Farzam Ehsani, Badi Sudhakaran, and Theo Bohnen, the exchange offers crypto-related services, including staking and Futures trading. However, it sure has some flaws, too.
Pros | Cons |
Competitive trading fees | Limited cryptocurrency offerings |
Regulated and compliant | Primarily focused on the South African market |
Institutional-grade API | Limited educational resources for beginners |
Up to 5M USDT in rewards for top Futures traders | Limited leverage options (up to 10) |
VALR User Levels
The company has a simple single-tier user level program: VIP. Traders must meet certain conditions in order to upgrade from the Standard to the VIP level.
Key features of VALR VIP:
- Trade more than 2% of the exchange’s monthly spot and futures trading volume;
- Maintain a balance of over $100,000;
- Exceed 30D trading volume of $10M across Spot and Futures markets;
- Get a 0.01% discount on the Futures taker fee.
VALR Exchange Fees Explained
The platform has implemented a transparent fee structure for trading, deposits, withdrawals, and simple buy/sell.
Market | Maker | Taker |
Fiat Pairs | -0.01% | 0.1% |
Spot / Margin | 0% | 0.05% |
Futures | 0% | 0.04% |
USD Stable to USD Stable (e.g., USDT/USDC) | 0% | 0.01% |
The ecosystem charges a 0.13% commission on EUR and USD deposits and a 3.9% fee on ZAR card deposits.
Listed Cryptocurrencies
The exchange provides Spot / Margin and Futures trading services alongside a simple buy/sell feature on a list of 75+ digital assets, including:
- BNB
- USDC
- PYUSD
- SHIB
- XAUT
- AVAX
- BTC
- XRP
- ETH
- DOGE
Futures and Margin Trading
As we mentioned earlier in this VALR review, the platform provides Futures trading with leverage options of up to 1:10 and Margin trading with leverage options of up to 1:5. Key features of VALR perpetual and margin markets:
- 10 cryptocurrency pairs on the margin market with USDC, USDT, BTC, and ZAR as base currencies
- 13 trading pairs on the futures market with USDT and ZAR as base currencies
Account Opening and Verification
The company has been licensed in multiple jurisdictions. As a result, it has to comply with AML and KYC policies.
Upon signing up, users must complete the verification process. The VALR registration process is explained in 5 steps, in addition to a verification phase.
#1 Visit the VALR Platform
Visit the official VALR website and click “Open an Account” to get started.
#2 Enter Personal Details
Fill out the form with these data:
- Name
- Country of residence
- Password
Optionally, connect via an Apple Account or a Google account.
#3 Confirm Email Ownership
Check your inbox, click the validation link, and return to VALR to proceed.
#4 Sign In
Use your credentials to log in securely.
#5 Mobile Verification via OTP
Input your phone number and authenticate it with a one-time password (OTP) to finalize setup and access your account.
#6 Verification
To pass the KYC, provide the required residency and personal information, and upload proof of ID (passport or driving license).
VALR App Download
In addition to a web-based platform with access to TradingView charts, the exchange offers a dedicated mobile application on various operating systems, including:
Is VALR Exchange Safe?
The company is licensed in multiple regions, including Europe, India, Dubai, South Africa, and Zambia.
In addition to a strong regulatory framework, VALR has implemented a multilayer protection system containing:
- Two Factor Authentication (2FA)
- White list (Crypto withdrawals to address book only)
- SSL Encryption
- Cold Storage
Payment Methods
The platform supports both fiat and crypto transactions for funding and withdrawals.
While bank transfer is the only option for fiat (ZAR) withdrawals, you can deposit EUR, USD, and ZAR through various options, including:
- USD: Wire and Swift
- EUR: Wire and SEPA
- ZAR: South African credit / debit cards and EFT
Crypto deposits are free, and the platform offers 30 free ZAR withdrawals per month with an R8.50 fee thereafter.
Deposits in fiat currencies are typically processed within 48 hours, while crypto deposits depend on blockchain confirmation speeds. Importantly, there are no deposit fees charged by VALR, although network or bank-related fees may apply externally.
VALR Trust Score
Exploring the platform’s ratings on reputable websites like TrustPilot is one of the most important topics in this VALR review, which helps potential client to get feel of what they should be expecting.
2.7/5 based on 20 comments | |
Reviews.io | 2.0/5 based on 6 reviews |
CoinGecko | 6/10 |
Despite the wide range of services, user reviews paint a poor picture of the exchange. The most recurring subject in negative comments is withdrawal delay.
VALR Features
The table below lists the most important extra features found in the exchange:
Features | Availability |
Staking | Yes |
Yield Farming | No |
Social Trading | No |
Liquidity Pool | No |
Gift Card | No |
VALR Customer Support
The exchange provides 24/7 support through its chatbot, a comprehensive help center, and a ticket system. However, the lack of a live chat feature and a hotline can be a letdown for potential clients.
- VALR email address: help@valr.com
Growth Plans and Copy Trading on VALR Exchange
While the platform doesn’t offer a dedicated copy trading service, it provides 2 earn programs, including Staking and Lending, with the following key features:
- Lend your assets (e.g., ZAR, BTC, ETH, USDT, and USDC) and earn up to 67% APR;
- Stake Solana (SOL), Avalanche (AVAX), TRON (TRX), and other cryptocurrencies and benefit from returns of up to 6%.
The exchange has implemented a referral program and rewards its affiliates with commissions of up to 30%. It also hosts seasonal trading competitions, such as Futures Trade Arena, which offers up to 120K USDT in rewards.
What Countries Does VALR Support?
While the exchange strives to serve a global clientele, its regulatory framework and local laws prevent it from operating in certain jurisdictions, including:
- Canada
- Cuba
- India
- Iran
- Kazakhstan
- North Korea
- Russia
- Somalia
- Sudan
- South Sudan
- Syria
- Ukraine
- United States of America
VALR Evaluated Against The Competition
The table in this section compares the exchange to its peers in several significant factors:
Parameters | VALR Exchange | Binance Exchange | OKX Exchange | LBank Exchange |
Number of Assets | 75 | 400+ | 7800+ | 700+ |
Maximum Leverage | 1:10 | 1:125 | 1:12 | 1:125 |
Minimum Deposit | ZAR 0.0, $10, €1 | $1 | N/A | Varies by Cryptocurrency |
Spot Maker Fee | 0% | 0.02% - 0.1% | -0.01% - 0.14% | 0.02% |
Spot Taker Fee | 0.05% | 0.04% - 0.1% | 0.03% - 0.23% | 0.02% |
Mandatory KYC | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Futures Trading | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Mobile Application | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Fiat Payment | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Staking | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Copy Trading | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Writer's Opinion and Conclusion
VALR provides access to Crypto Spot, Futures, and Margin trading with leverage options of up to 1:10 and 0.0% maker fees. The exchange accepts EUR, USD, and ZAR deposits via SEPA, Swift, and South African credit cards.
Despite the variety of services and a global clientele (more than 1M users), there are many negative VALR reviews on TrustPilot, gaining the platform a score of 2.7/5.