Valereum Plc Forms Strategic Alliance with Blockchain Digital Assets Limited to Boost Digital Asset and Payment Solutions Across Africa

Advancing Real-World Asset Tokenisation via VLRM Markets Platform

The partnership’s initial focus is on real-world asset tokenisation, specifically targeting land extraction commodities such as gold, platinum, and lithium. Valereum will utilise its VLRM Markets platform, powered by DigiShares, to develop a joint offering that enhances BDAL’s access to listed exchanges across Africa. This initiative significantly broadens Valereum’s tokenisation capabilities into commodity-backed digital assets, a fast-growing sector within digital markets.

The collaboration will introduce a gold yield-bearing tokenisation ecosystem, enabling fractional investment in precious metal reserves and extraction rights. By combining Valereum’s regulated digital asset infrastructure with BDAL’s strong connections among African mining operators and financial institutions, the partnership aims to democratise commodity-linked investments across multiple jurisdictions. This approach allows investors regulated exposure to real-world assets via digital tokens while providing asset owners with innovative funding and market access beyond traditional finance.

Expanding Digital Payments Through Koinon Mobile App Integration

The second pillar of the partnership focuses on scaling digital payments across Africa by integrating BDAL’s Koinon mobile application with Valereum’s white-label payment platforms. Developed in collaboration with Interswitch and Pipechain, Koinon serves as a regional payments hub with existing merchant adoption. The alliance will merge these capabilities with Valereum’s suite of white-label payment solutions to build a comprehensive on- and off-ramp infrastructure supporting both B2B2C and B2C transaction models.

This combined payments solution will feature AI-driven payment technologies to improve transaction efficiency, fraud detection, and user experience across digital asset and fiat currency conversions. Addressing infrastructure gaps in African financial services, where traditional banking remains fragmented and mobile money adoption surges, the partnership aims to enable seamless, compliant conversion between digital assets, cryptocurrencies, and fiat currencies across multiple African jurisdictions.

Developing Next-Generation Digital Banking Services Bridging TradFi and Digital Ecosystems

The third strategic focus involves creating advanced digital banking services across Africa by integrating advisory expertise, regulated digital asset infrastructure, and execution platforms. The partnership plans to deliver an integrated financial product suite that bridges traditional finance (TradFi) and digital asset ecosystems, capitalising on Africa’s leapfrog adoption potential driven by limited traditional banking access alongside rising smartphone use and digital literacy.

Valereum’s regulated digital asset platform will underpin these digital banking services, while BDAL’s advisory expertise and institutional networks will steer market entry and product development. Although specific timelines, investments, and target customer segments remain undisclosed, management commentary highlights significant growth potential beyond tokenisation and payments toward comprehensive financial services for Africa’s underbanked populations.

Blockchain Digital Assets Limited: Regional Expertise and Network Strength

Blockchain Digital Assets Limited (Africa), a Kenyan-registered entity, specialises in digital assets, payments, and financial infrastructure advisory. BDAL has cultivated an extensive network across government agencies, financial institutions, and private enterprises throughout Africa and the Indian Ocean, providing the joint venture with immediate access to key stakeholders across regulatory, banking, and commercial sectors in multiple jurisdictions.

Founder and Managing Partner Matthew Mecke emphasised BDAL’s three decades of relationship-building across Africa, stating: "Partnering with Valereum is a natural fit given our aligned roadmaps. We firmly believe digital banking adoption will accelerate across Africa at both product and client levels." This underscores BDAL’s confidence in the market opportunity and positions the partnership as a strategic, long-term engagement.

Valereum’s Position in Tokenised Digital Markets and Ecosystem

Valereum Plc aims to become a global leader in the emerging tokenised digital markets sector, operating across jurisdictions with a regulated digital asset ecosystem that includes tokenisation and payments infrastructure. The VLRM Markets platform (powered by DigiShares) is a key technology asset forming the foundation for real-world asset tokenisation solutions deployed through the BDAL partnership.

Group CEO Gary Cottle described the partnership as "an obvious geographic and product extension of our business model and ambitions." He added, "It makes strategic sense for BDAL to leverage our platforms rather than build their own. Matthew and his team bring immense expertise and market insight, and we look forward to accelerating their Go To Market strategy." This highlights the mutually beneficial nature of the alliance, combining Valereum’s regulated infrastructure with BDAL’s market access and institutional relationships.

Growing African Market Potential for Digital Assets and Payments

The partnership aligns with broader trends of digital asset adoption and financial inclusion in Africa, driven by limited traditional banking infrastructure, rising mobile device penetration, growing interest in alternative investments, and evolving regulatory frameworks fostering digital innovation. The African digital payments market has seen significant growth, with mobile money expanding beyond telecom operators into wider financial ecosystems.

Real-world asset tokenisation is particularly suited to African markets, where access to traditional capital markets is often limited to institutional investors and high-net-worth individuals. By enabling fractional ownership of commodity-linked assets via regulated digital tokens, the Valereum-BDAL partnership addresses a critical market gap. Although specific market size, revenue forecasts, or adoption targets were not disclosed, the multi-jurisdictional focus reflects confidence in substantial addressable opportunities.

Regulatory and Operational Challenges in African Expansion

Expanding into African markets through BDAL requires navigating diverse and evolving regulatory landscapes. African countries vary widely in digital asset regulation, with some adopting dedicated frameworks and others maintaining restrictive or uncertain stances. BDAL’s established government and regulatory relationships provide vital expertise for managing these complexities, a key success factor for the joint venture.

The announcement does not specify regulatory approvals or filings but references leveraging "listed exchanges across the African region," indicating intent to operate within established securities and financial market regulations rather than unregulated digital asset markets. This approach aligns with Valereum’s emphasis on regulated digital asset infrastructure, though timelines and jurisdiction-specific strategies remain undisclosed.

Technology Integration of White-Label Payments and Platforms

The partnership entails significant integration between Valereum’s white-label payment platforms and BDAL’s Koinon mobile app infrastructure. This will support essential on-ramp (fiat to digital assets) and off-ramp (digital assets to fiat) capabilities, critical for mainstream digital asset adoption. AI-powered payment solutions will enhance fraud detection, transaction optimisation, and user experience.

Details on integration timelines, platform migration, or user transition plans for Koinon users were not provided. The comprehensive white-label solution is expected to serve third-party financial institutions, payment providers, and fintech platforms across Africa, extending beyond retail consumers to institutional clients seeking digital asset integration within existing financial services.

Strategic Synergies and Competitive Advantages

The partnership emphasises complementary strengths and market access rather than competition. Valereum gains immediate entry to BDAL’s regulatory expertise, relationships, and networks, reducing barriers and accelerating market launch. BDAL benefits from Valereum’s regulated tokenisation, payments infrastructure, and digital banking technologies, enabling service expansion without internal platform development.

This collaboration contrasts with organic market entry, offering greater efficiency than standalone operations across multiple African jurisdictions. BDAL noted it "makes more sense to leverage Valereum’s platforms rather than build our own," highlighting the technical and operational barriers to entry in digital asset tokenisation and regulated payments infrastructure. Financial terms, equity splits, revenue sharing, or capital commitments were not disclosed.