📰 What This Document Is 📜

This document is a press release (Form 6-K) issued on April 22, 2026. It functions as a major announcement detailing a significant successful fundraising and institutional adoption event for the company's asset management arm. Readers should understand that this release focuses heavily on DeFi Technologies’ ability to bridge traditional finance (TradFi) and the decentralized digital asset world. The primary headline finding is the successful securing of $11 million in institutional capital, signaling growing confidence in regulated crypto products.

👉 This announcement isn't just about the money; it's a statement about the maturity and legitimacy of digital assets within traditional financial systems.

🏢 What The Company Does 🤔

In simple terms, DeFi Technologies is a financial technology company building a "gateway" between the established global banking and capital markets and the rapidly evolving world of decentralized finance (DeFi). The company operates as a vertically integrated digital asset platform, meaning it handles everything from research and custody to investment products and trading infrastructure.

👉 The company's core business model is to provide familiar, secure, and regulated access to digital assets through regulated investment products.

Key Business Components:

• Valour: This is the company's key asset management arm. It issues regulated Exchange Traded Products (ETPs), allowing both retail and institutional investors to access digital assets via their traditional bank accounts.
• Stillman Digital: This unit provides an institutional-grade digital asset trading and liquidity platform.
• DeFi Alpha: This is the internal business line focused on more sophisticated trading strategies, including arbitrage and other capital markets tactics.

🪙 The Institutional Investment Details 📈

The central news of the release is the successful closing of two separate institutional investment transactions, totaling approximately US$11 million. These investments were made by large institutional investors who have a highly positive view of Hedera (HBAR).

• Total Funds Raised: The transactions secured an aggregate of US$11 million, calculated based on the execution value at the time of purchase.
• Bourse Frankfurt Component: Of that total, US$10 million was invested into the Valour Hedera (HBAR) ETP listed on Bourse Frankfurt.
• Spotlight Exchange Component: An additional US$1 million was invested into the Valour Hedera SEK on Sweden's Spotlight Exchange.

👉 The fact that the investments were made through specific, regulated exchanges like Bourse Frankfurt and Spotlight Exchange highlights that this is a formalized, trusted financial play, not an unregulated crypto transaction.

🔬 The Role of the DVIO Index ✨

The institutional money was generated through strategic engagements at DeFi Technologies' Abu Dhabi Insights Symposium. The key tool used to facilitate this was the company’s proprietary index, the DEFT Valour Investment Opportunity Index, or "DVIO Index."

The DVIO Index is a unique, institutional-grade benchmark designed to identify market opportunities and relative momentum across Valour's entire ETP product ecosystem. It tracks signals derived from market activity, product engagement, and capital allocation trends.

• Index Function: This index is not static; its weights are adjusted weekly based on actual regulated investor capital allocation and net flow momentum.
• Signaling Power: The successful funding of the Hedera ETP demonstrates the "signaling power" of the DVIO Index—meaning the index helps identify digital assets that are truly gaining traction with sophisticated capital allocators.

💎 Hedera ETPs and Digital Assets 🌐

The specific asset vehicle involved is the Valour Hedera (HBAR) ETP. This product offers investors regulated, exchange-traded exposure to HBAR, which is the native token of the Hedera network.

• Access: By structuring this as an ETP, Valour makes it accessible through traditional brokerage and banking platforms, which significantly increases its appeal to regulated investors.
• Market Credibility: For the Hedera ecosystem, this institutional inflow is viewed as a meaningful signal. It helps broaden access, increases visibility, and deepens the overall market credibility for the network.

💰 Financial Growth and Business Drivers 📈

The flow of capital has direct implications for the company's financial health. The firm monetizes its AUM (Assets Under Management) through management fees earned on the ETPs.

• AUM Growth: Since the $11 million investment directly increases the assets held within the ETP, it immediately grows Valour’s AUM.
• Operating Leverage: Growth in AUM is critical because it provides a larger fee base for Valour and increases the opportunities for the company to enhance its operating leverage across its entire platform.

🗣️ Executive Commentary and Strategic Vision 🗣️

Leadership commentary emphasizes two main points: the success of their product suite and the strategic importance of Europe.

Andrew Forson, President of DeFi Technologies and Chief Growth Officer of Valour, noted: "The strength of our ETP platform is not only in providing regulated access to digital assets, but in helping surface where institutional demand is forming."

• Key Insight: This statement confirms that DeFi Technologies views itself not just as a product issuer, but as a market intelligence service that helps investors pinpoint areas of growing demand.
• Future Coverage: Forson also stated that the institutional capital injection qualifies Hedera (HBAR) for extended research coverage in the periodic DVIO Index InFocus reports and during the global symposia roadshow sessions.

🗺️ Geographic Strategy and Market Expansion 🌍

The company views its European market presence, particularly in Germany, as a major pillar of its growth strategy.

• Market Focus: The announcement specifically notes that the transactions represent a "pivotal step in expanding Valour's assets under management in Germany," which is identified as one of Europe's most important markets for ETPs.
• Overall Objective: The company's broader objective is to expand its footprint with both institutional and retail investors across several key European markets.

💼 Summary of Corporate Functions & Goals 🚀

DeFi Technologies is positioning itself as the central meeting point where traditional finance and emerging digital assets meet.

• Core Value Proposition: They provide a full service—encompassing investment products, liquidity infrastructure, and deep research—that makes complex digital assets simple and secure for regulated investors.
• The Signal: By pairing regulated products (ETPs) with market intelligence (DVIO Index), DeFi Technologies strengthens its position by making the transition from traditional banking into the digital asset world seem seamless and trustworthy.

📞 For Further Information & Contacts 📧

The filing provides several channels for investors and interested parties to get more information.

• Institutional Investors, Funds, or Family Offices: Can contact the Investor Relations team via email at [email protected].
• Primary Contact Person: For general inquiries, Johan Wattenström, Chief Executive Officer, can be reached at [email protected] or by phone at (323) 537-7681.
• Analyst Research: A full list of DeFi Technologies' analyst coverage is available at https://defi.tech/investor-relations#research.

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🧠 The Analogy 🏦

Think of DeFi Technologies like a high-end, luxury department store located right where Main Street (Traditional Finance) meets a brand-new, cutting-edge tech district (DeFi). Valour’s ETPs are the curated, polished displays in that store, making complex, new tech products easy and safe for every kind of shopper—from seasoned Wall Street bankers to casual retail investors. The DVIO Index acts like the store's expert sign that points shoppers toward the newest, hottest brands that are actually worth their money, reassuring everyone that the purchase is legitimate and valuable.

🧩 Final Takeaway 🎯

The successful $11 million institutional investment confirms that major financial institutions see regulated digital asset exposure as a stable and profitable investment channel. DeFi Technologies is capitalizing on this shift by providing the necessary regulated products and market intelligence to make the crypto world accessible and trustworthy for global capital.