VALR, one of Africa’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, used its platform at the Africa Tech Summit in Nairobi to highlight the continent’s rising influence in digital asset use and blockchain innovation. The summit, held over two days in early February 2026, brought together tech leaders, policymakers, and innovators to discuss how emerging technologies can solve real economic challenges across Africa.
VALR served as a Gold Sponsor of the event and delivered a strong message that Africa is not just adopting crypto , it is shaping how the technology is used in practical, real-world applications. According to speakers at the summit, widespread issues such as fragmented financial systems, high remittance costs across borders, and persistent inflation have helped drive interest in digital currencies as tools for financial inclusion and value preservation.
During the summit, data was shared showing rapid growth in crypto activity across Sub-Saharan Africa, with significant increases in transaction volumes and adoption year-over-year. Stablecoins ,digital assets pegged to traditional currencies such as the U.S. dollar, were highlighted as key enablers for cross-border payments, remittances, and everyday financial transactions in markets where traditional banking access remains limited.
Countries such as Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Ghana were identified as leaders in crypto uptake, with Nigeria alone recording tens of billions of dollars in on-chain transaction value over a 12-month period. Speakers said these trends show how digital assets are increasingly used to address practical financial challenges, not merely as speculative investments.
VALR’s co-founder and CEO delivered a keynote emphasizing Africa’s pragmatic embrace of crypto technology, stressing that the continent is poised to lead in applying digital finance solutions at scale. Another executive from VALR participated in a panel on crypto adoption, reinforcing the view that necessity ,rather than hype , is fueling real innovation.
Headquartered in Johannesburg and operating under regulatory licences in South Africa and Europe, VALR serves millions of users and corporate clients. Its sponsorship of the summit underscored a broader mission: to support infrastructure that bridges financial gaps and expands access to inclusive, digital finance across Africa.
