Valour launches bitcoin staking ETP on London Stock Exchange

Valour Digital Securities, a subsidiary of DeFi Technologies, has launched its Bitcoin Physical Staking exchange-traded product (ETP) on the London Stock Exchange, the firm announced on Friday.

The listing expands Valour’s yield-bearing bitcoin product beyond mainland Europe, where it has traded since November 2024 on Germany’s Xetra market. The ETP is restricted to professional and institutional investors under current UK regulations, with retail access expected to open on October 8 under new Financial Conduct Authority rules.

The product, listed under ticker 1VBS, is physically backed 1:1 by bitcoin held in cold storage with Copper, a regulated custodian. It offers an estimated annual yield of 1.4%, which is distributed by increasing the product’s net asset value (NAV). Yield is generated through a staking process that uses the Core Chain’s Satoshi Plus consensus mechanism.

Rewards earned in CORE tokens are converted into bitcoin and added to the ETP’s holdings. Valour has emphasized that while the process involves short-term lockups during stake transactions, the underlying bitcoin is not subject to traditional staking risks such as slashing.

The launch comes as the UK begins to loosen restrictions on crypto-linked investment products. Earlier this year, the Financial Conduct Authority moved toward allowing retail access to certain crypto exchange-traded notes and products, a shift that will test demand for regulated, yield-bearing bitcoin exposure.