BlockTower, the regulated issuer of ZARU, its Rand-backed stablecoin, has announced that Luno Global has listed ZARU/USDT and ZARU/USDC trading pairs. This is the first time an institutional-grade ZAR stablecoin has listed on a large, regulated crypto exchange, giving the Rand its first continuous, on-chain secondary market – available 24/7 on Luno’s exchange – and its first direct on-chain link to the world’s two largest dollar stablecoins. The listing builds on ZARU’s existing footprint. Since launch, ZARU has been available to retail customers through Easy Equities and Luno Global’s instant trade feature in South Africa, and to qualified institutions over-the-counter. Luno has since extended that reach further with a joint campaign with Tether that pays up to 15% back in Tether Gold to customers who pay with ZARU at 1 million merchants across South Africa. Luno Global is making the new exchange pairs available to customers in
South Africa,
Nigeria,
Kenya, and
Uganda,
and will add further regions as regulation permits.
https://bitcoinke.io/2026/02/introducing-zaru/ Why a Rand Stablecoin, and Why Now The Rand is one of the most actively traded emerging-market currencies in the world, with deep, sustained demand across a wide range of capital market instruments – from spot FX and derivatives to offshore-listed products. Until now, that global Rand trading activity had no regulated, on-chain venue to settle in – the ZARU/USDT and ZARU/USDC pairs on Luno Global are, in effect, Rand FX moving onchain. The wider market is moving the same way. Non-USD stablecoin supply has grown 50 times since 2020, from $44 million to $2.20 billion, according to research by Keyrock and Bitso. Emerging-market currencies are leading the shift: the Brazilian Real volume traded has compounded at roughly 20% a quarter for two years to $5.3 billion, and the Mexican Peso set successive quarterly trading records. The Rand ranks among the most liquid and heavily traded emerging-market currencies, with strong bilateral trade flows from a resource-rich, industrial and services economy. How ZARU Works BlockTower is an authorised Financial Services Provider (FSP 55172) and Crypto Asset Service Provider (CASP) in South Africa. ZARU is backed 1:1 by cash-equivalent reserves held in a segregated account at Standard Bank. Sanlam Specialised Asset Management (Pty) Ltd, a licensed financial services provider part of the Sanlam group of companies, manages the underlying assets. Jacques Le Roux, the CEO of Sanlam Financial Markets, elaborated: “For institutional holders, the reserve management structure is the point. It is the same operational discipline we apply across our asset base, now standing behind a Rand stablecoin.” Moore Johannesburg attests the reserves monthly, and the reports are available online for holders to inspect at any time. ZARU can now be accessed in two ways: direct minting and redemption through the BlockTower issuance platform for qualified institutional clients, and secondary liquidity on exchange. Luno Global provides one of the most accessible secondary venues through the ZARU/USDC and ZARU/USDT pairs. BlockTower is adding further centralised exchanges, decentralised exchanges and OTC desks to build multiple venues of liquidity for ZARU across jurisdictions. Dedicated Institutional Liquidity BlockTower has partnered with Currency Hub, an authorised Financial Services Provider and Crypto Asset Service Provider regulated by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority, as ZARU’s dedicated market maker, who will quote two-way prices on the ZARU exchange-listed pairs. “Continuous liquidity is what turns a listing into a market,” according to Warren Deats, CEO of Currency Hub. Liquidity on Luno Global’s exchange and OTC desk enables treasuries and trading desks to move size in and out of ZARU at attractive spreads, around the clock in secondary markets. https://bitcoinke.io/2026/01/south-africa-approves-300-crypto-firms/ What Comes Next BlockTower’s plan extends beyond ZARU. The company aims to be the emerging-market stablecoin issuer and wallet-as-a-service provider of choice for capital markets and the payments industry, and is planning stablecoin launches across key African and APAC markets. As more emerging-market stablecoins move on-chain, cross-peg pairs between them become possible, creating liquidity pools and network effects that did not exist before, particularly with established financial institutions involved. In closing, Vighnesh Patel, the CEO of BlockTower, had this to say: “Institutionally trusted, regulated liquidity for ZARU is foundational to building real onchain capital markets and FX. This listing on Luno Global is a major step in that direction. For any institutions interested in exploring what ZARU can unlock for your business, drop us an email at sales@blocktower.tech.” https://bitcoinke.io/2026/06/valr-stablecoin-milestone/
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