Valereum PLC's (AQSE:VLRM) Head of Valereum Markets Global, Adrian Hogg, and Head of Valereum Markets El Salvador, Carmen Ochoa, talked with Proactive about major developments at the company. Hogg explained that Valereum is preparing to launch its new RWA trading platform and digital wallet service next month, with a strong pipeline across multiple asset classes including equities, debt, sports, real estate, and arts. He emphasised, "We've been working hard to build a pipeline of various asset classes," highlighting the breadth of initiatives underway.
Hogg further noted that the tokenised real-world assets (RWA) sector is rapidly growing, describing El Salvador as the ideal jurisdiction due to government and regulatory alignment. "We have absolute certainty in El Salvador," he said, referencing the supportive environment created by President Bukele's government and the country's adoption of bitcoin as legal tender.
Ochoa shared insights into a recent meeting with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), where she was part of a delegation discussing a cross-border sandbox initiative. She explained, "Through the National Commission of Digital Assets, El Salvador is working hard to maintain a digital ecosystem that provides strong consumer protection and transparent regulation."
Proactive: Adrian, Carmen, very good to meet you. Thanks for joining us. Lots of news to talk about. Adrian, I'll start with you. You're gearing up to open your new RWA trading platform and digital wallet service next month. Tell us more about RWA and what's planned.
Adrian Hogg: Thank you. We've been working hard. We are licensed in El Salvador, licensed by CNAD. We are a digital asset service provider (DASP) with full permissions for primary markets, secondary markets, and the full lifecycle of digital assets. We've been building a pipeline across various asset classes — what we refer to as Trad-Fi — including underlying equities, debt, funds, sports, real estate, hotel and leisure, and the arts. We've been working on this for months and are excited to get started.
Proactive: Adrian, these launches put you at the center of what is a burgeoning market for tokenized real-world assets, don't they?
Adrian Hogg: Yes, they do. The market is growing fast. We've been in blockchain and tokenization for a while. This is the next wave. After the ICOs of 2016-2018, we’re now moving into RWA. The digitization of ownership of assets and intangible rights is a natural progression, and now is the right time.
Proactive: Why El Salvador, Adrian?
Adrian Hogg: El Salvador offers the perfect package. Government and regulator are aligned, which is rare. Bukele’s government adopted bitcoin in 2021. The digital regulator came in 2023, and we obtained our license in 2024. It’s a great place to do business and we are investing time, effort, and capital there.
Proactive: Carmen, let's bring you in. You were part of a four-person delegation that met with the US Securities and Exchange Commission this week. Tell us more about that meeting.
Carmen Ochoa: Thank you. We had a very good meeting. I was privileged to be included in the team leading the sandbox initiative. Through the National Commission of Digital Assets, El Salvador is working to maintain a digital ecosystem that provides strong consumer protection, transparent regulation, and supports innovation. CNAD responded to the commissioners’ call for a dialogue on a cross-border sandbox and is ready to provide practical data and real-world use cases to help the SEC's crypto task force.
Proactive: What’s the next step for this project, Carmen?
Carmen Ochoa: There is no fixed plan yet, but we have made ourselves available to support the SEC’s task force with data and use cases, and we hope to be included in any future projects aimed at opening up the US market.
Proactive: Can you briefly explain what the sandbox is?
Carmen Ochoa: It's a regulator-controlled environment for small digital asset projects, supervised and approved by CNAD in El Salvador. The aim is to provide real-world data for the SEC’s crypto task force.
Proactive: Adrian, what should we watch out for next from Valereum Markets?
Adrian Hogg: We’re going live in May and will build throughout the year. We are not just focusing on classic Trad-Fi RWA but creating a rich tapestry of issuers across various industries. We want to build a marketplace that people want to visit and participate in.