Valour Launches Bitcoin Staking ETP on London Stock Exchange Powered By Core

Valour Digital Securities Limited, a subsidiary of DeFi Technologies, has launched the first Bitcoin Staking Exchange-Traded Product (ETP) on the London Stock Exchange, enabling investors to track Bitcoin's price while earning yields from staking without managing the process themselves. 

Announced on September 18, 2025, the product, named 1Valour Bitcoin Physical Staking (1VBS), holds physically backed Bitcoin collateralized on a 1:1 basis and adds staking rewards to its Net Asset Value (NAV) daily, currently at a 1.4% annual yield. This development brings Bitcoin staking into regulated traditional finance markets in the UK, allowing professional investors and institutions to participate through standard brokerage accounts.

Understanding the Bitcoin Staking ETP

A Bitcoin Staking ETP functions as a financial instrument listed on stock exchanges that mirrors Bitcoin's market price and produces additional returns via staking mechanisms. In contrast to conventional Bitcoin ETPs or exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which offer only passive exposure to price movements, this staking variant delegates Bitcoin holdings to generate rewards.

For Valour's 1VBS, the ETP maintains physical Bitcoin in institutional-grade cold storage, ensuring a direct 1:1 collateralization with actual Bitcoin assets. The staking rewards are calculated and incorporated into the product's NAV each trading day, providing investors with a yield of 1.4% per year based on current rates. This setup eliminates the need for investors to handle cryptocurrency wallets or engage directly in staking protocols, as the process is managed within the ETP structure.

The product's design draws on established practices in decentralized finance but adapts them for compliance with traditional market regulations. Staking here involves committing Bitcoin to network validation activities, which in turn yields rewards that enhance the ETP's overall value. This integration allows for a hybrid approach where cryptocurrency mechanics support traditional investment vehicles.

Key Features of the Bitcoin Staking ETP

Non-Custodial Staking: The 1VBS ETP includes several technical elements that define its operation and appeal to institutional users. Non-custodial staking stands out as a core feature: Bitcoin holdings remain in secure cold storage using multi-party computation technology, which distributes cryptographic keys among multiple parties to prevent single points of failure. This method ensures that assets are not transferred to external entities during staking, reducing custody risks.

Yield Generation: Yield generation occurs through these staking activities, with the 1.4% annual rate derived from rewards added directly to the NAV at the close of each trading day. Investors benefit from this accrual without active involvement, as the ETP handles the delegation and reward distribution internally.

Regulatory Compliance: Regulatory compliance plays a central role, with the product listed on the London Stock Exchange's Main Market and available in GBP and EUR denominations. This listing subjects it to oversight from UK financial authorities, making it accessible to professional investors and institutions via traditional brokerage platforms. No cryptocurrency-specific tools or accounts are required, streamlining entry for those familiar with stock trading.

Liquidity Maintenance: Liquidity is maintained through redeemable shares, with daily disclosures of NAV, Bitcoin entitlements per share, and indicative intraday prices. These transparency measures align with standard exchange practices, allowing for efficient buying, selling, and valuation.

The Role of Core in Powering Bitcoin Staking Innovation

Core DAO provides the underlying technology for the Valour Bitcoin Staking ETP by enabling non-custodial Bitcoin staking through its Satoshi Plus consensus mechanism. This system allows Bitcoin to be locked on the Bitcoin network using native CheckLockTimeVerify timelocks for a minimum of 24 hours, delegating it to Core validators without transferring custody or introducing slashing risks for stakers. 

Rewards are generated from Core's block rewards schedule, which distributes CORE tokens over 81 years, and transaction fees on the Core blockchain, contributing to the ETP's 1.4% annual yield after integration. Core's approach secures the network with approximately 50% of Bitcoin's mining hash power through Delegated Proof of Work, where miners vote for validators by including metadata in Bitcoin block coinbases. Dual staking options combine Bitcoin with CORE tokens to amplify yields across tiers, such as Base or Satoshi levels. 

Core was selected for this ETP due to its position as the first platform to offer live non-custodial Bitcoin staking on an EVM-compatible blockchain aligned with Bitcoin's principles, facilitating secure yield generation without wrapping or bridging assets. This innovation bridges traditional finance and decentralized protocols by setting a risk-free rate for Bitcoin finance, similar to how interest rates function in conventional markets, and supports further developments like Bitcoin re-staking and liquid staking tokens.

Implications for the DeFi Technologies Ecosystem

DeFi Technologies operates as a company that connects decentralized finance elements with traditional capital markets. Its subsidiaries encompass Valour, which manages over 85 ETPs on major European exchanges; Reflexivity Research, focused on market analysis; Stillman Digital, handling digital asset services; and Neuronomics, involved in economic modeling.

The launch of the 1VBS ETP expands Valour's portfolio by incorporating Bitcoin staking into traditional finance channels. It offers UK investors a regulated path to Bitcoin yields without direct cryptocurrency exposure, potentially drawing institutional capital similar to patterns observed in prior product rollouts. This move strengthens the ecosystem's security framework, relying on cold storage and multi-party computation to safeguard assets.

Within the broader ecosystem, the ETP fosters liquidity by enabling seamless trading on established exchanges. It also opens avenues for partnerships, though it introduces exposure to Bitcoin's market volatility, which can affect NAV and yields. Overall, the product positions Valour as a specialist in Bitcoin-based structured products, with scope for additional integrations across European markets.

The ecosystem's structure supports this by leveraging Valour's experience in ETP issuance, ensuring that staking rewards are efficiently captured and distributed. Risks such as price fluctuations in Bitcoin are inherent, but the regulated environment provides a layer of investor protection not always present in direct crypto holdings.

Final Thoughts 

In summary, the Valour Bitcoin Staking ETP demonstrates how Core DAO's technology integrates non-custodial Bitcoin staking into regulated financial products. Core's role underscores its capacity to bridge Bitcoin with decentralized finance through features such as Dual Staking, which combines Bitcoin and CORE tokens for enhanced rewards, and its EVM-compatible blockchain that supports over 100 decentralized applications. 

With ongoing implementations like liquid staked Bitcoin (lstBTC) and strategies for leveraged yield exposure, Core maintains the infrastructure to enable additional Bitcoin-based financial tools and ecosystem expansions.

Sources:

• Core Announcement on X: https://x.com/Coredao_Org/status/1968665107812204917
• DeFI Technologies Press Release: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/09/18/3152314/0/en/DeFi-Technologies-Subsidiary-Valour-Digital-Securities-Limited-Launches-the-First-Bitcoin-Staking-ETP-on-the-London-Stock-Exchange.html
• BTC Staking Powered by Core:
• https://coredao.org/blog/worlds-first-live-btc-staking-is-powered-by-core
• Yield Bearing ETP Powered by Core: https://coredao.org/blog/worlds-first-and-only-yield-bearing-bitcoin-etp
• https://coredao.org/