Valour, a tech firm working to bridge the gap between DeFi, and the traditional capital markets, has appointed a new product manager. According to the August 1, 2022 announcement, Elaine Buhler will be Valour’s new Product Manager.
Her extensive experience in portfolio and product management, combined with her diverse experience in the financial world, including private equity and derivatives, make her the right candidate for this role. Buhler will be in charge of enhancing Valour’s ETP initiative worldwide.
Previous Position
Before joining Valour, Buhler had served in a similar position at Amun/21Shares. Her role there was to orchestrate the launch of a crypto ETP in the Swiss and European markets. Her experience in that role gave her special industry knowledge that intersects with technology and traditional finance.
Valour Is On a Hiring Spree
Her appointment at Valour makes her the third hire in just a few weeks. Previously, the company hired Marco Infuso as Chief Sales Officer and Peter Markl as General Counsel. All three hires will work in the asset management team.
What Does Valour Do?
Valour offers its clients fully hedged digital asset ETPs with low to zero management fees. Their products are listed on four European exchanges. Valour’s current product range includes Valour Uniswap (UNI), Cardano (ADA), Polkadot (DOT), Solana (SOL), Avalanche (AVAX), Cosmos (ATOM), and Enjin (ENJ) ETPs. They also offer their flagship Bitcoin Zero and Ethereum Zero products, the first full-fledged passive investment products with BTC and ETH as the underlying assets. These flagship offerings are fee-free, in contrast to competitors that charge 2.5% in management.
Valour was created as a tech company that bridges the gap between traditional financial markets and the decentralized financial world. They aim to expand investor access to decentralized technologies. The company believes that DeFi is the future of finance. They work for their investors and shareholders to identify opportunities and areas of innovation where they build and invest in new technologies and ventures. Valour’s mission is to provide trusted, diversified exposure across the DeFi industry.
What the Leadership Team Had to Say
According to Russell Starr, CEO of Valour, the team was excited to work with Elaine. They believe she will help position Valour as it grows its involvement in the digital asset space. He concluded by stating that this was particularly so as they “look to expand our lineup of products as well as its [sic] offering of physically-backed cryptocurrency ETPs in Europe.”
What Are Crypto ETPs?
An ETP or Exchange Traded Product is a financial instrument that tracks the underlying asset. In the case of crypto ETPs, they track the value of underlying cryptocurrencies. The most popular ETP is an ETF, which operates similarly to a mutual fund. Many investors consider them a cost-effect means of gaining exposure to the crypto market. They are passively managed, and they come with lower fees.
They are popular with mainstream investors because they offer exposure to the crypto markets without them having to worry about crypto custody solutions. Investors enjoy institutional class custody via a standard brokerage account, increased transparency, and better liquidity by investing in crypto ETPs.
