Key Takeaways
- • Valour Inc., the ETP arm of DeFi Technologies, launched Smart Crypto Fund SP on September 21, 2026, its first actively managed hedge fund under the new Valour Funds SPC business line.
- • The Cayman Islands-registered fund is open only to professional and qualified investors and uses proprietary AI models from Swiss portfolio manager Neuronomics AG to adjust allocations across liquid digital assets.
- • Every position is subject to predefined risk budgets, per-asset limits and concentration controls, with overall market exposure capped.
- • The launch extends Valour beyond its more than 100 digital asset ETPs into active management and gives DeFi Technologies a new institutional channel while it addresses Nasdaq minimum bid price compliance.
Summary
Valour Inc., the digital asset exchange-traded product issuer owned by DeFi Technologies, has launched an actively managed hedge fund that relies on artificial intelligence to navigate crypto markets. The vehicle, Smart Crypto Fund SP, began operating on September 21 as the inaugural portfolio under Valour Funds SPC, a Cayman Islands entity registered with the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Access is restricted to professional and qualified investors.
The fund pairs Valour's institutional fund platform and digital asset infrastructure with a systematic investment approach developed by Neuronomics AG, a Swiss portfolio manager authorized by FINMA that specializes in applying AI to asset allocation. Rather than holding a static basket, the fund shifts allocations across a regularly reviewed selection of liquid digital assets. Neuronomics' proprietary AI ensemble examines price, volume and other market data over short and medium time horizons to determine what to hold, how much risk to accept and when to reduce exposure. Michael Kometer, founder and CEO of Neuronomics AG, said the ensemble "helps separate signal from noise and translates forecasts into disciplined portfolio decisions."
Risk controls include predefined risk budgets, per-asset limits, concentration controls and an overall cap on market exposure. Trades are executed through algorithms selected based on market liquidity and expected transaction costs. Operationally, investment management, administration, custody and execution are separated across specialist service providers covering fund administration, banking, execution and audit, which the company says creates the framework required for a professionally managed digital asset fund.
Johan Wattenström, CEO and chairman of DeFi Technologies, said the fund expands Valour's offering "beyond exchange traded products and into actively managed hedge fund strategies." Valour currently offers more than 100 digital asset ETPs, which remain passive vehicles, so the Smart Crypto Fund SP marks its first move into active management. The parent company, which holds a minority stake in Neuronomics, recently secured a 180-day extension from Nasdaq to address its minimum bid price requirement, and the fund could broaden its revenue base during that process. The fund also draws on DeFi Technologies infrastructure, including Stillman Digital, its institutional trading and liquidity platform.
The company has signaled that additional actively managed strategies could follow under Valour Funds SPC. Performance is not guaranteed and will depend on whether the AI models can consistently distinguish meaningful signals from noise across volatile market conditions.
The fund pairs Valour's institutional fund platform and digital asset infrastructure with a systematic investment approach developed by Neuronomics AG, a Swiss portfolio manager authorized by FINMA that specializes in applying AI to asset allocation. Rather than holding a static basket, the fund shifts allocations across a regularly reviewed selection of liquid digital assets. Neuronomics' proprietary AI ensemble examines price, volume and other market data over short and medium time horizons to determine what to hold, how much risk to accept and when to reduce exposure. Michael Kometer, founder and CEO of Neuronomics AG, said the ensemble "helps separate signal from noise and translates forecasts into disciplined portfolio decisions."
Risk controls include predefined risk budgets, per-asset limits, concentration controls and an overall cap on market exposure. Trades are executed through algorithms selected based on market liquidity and expected transaction costs. Operationally, investment management, administration, custody and execution are separated across specialist service providers covering fund administration, banking, execution and audit, which the company says creates the framework required for a professionally managed digital asset fund.
Johan Wattenström, CEO and chairman of DeFi Technologies, said the fund expands Valour's offering "beyond exchange traded products and into actively managed hedge fund strategies." Valour currently offers more than 100 digital asset ETPs, which remain passive vehicles, so the Smart Crypto Fund SP marks its first move into active management. The parent company, which holds a minority stake in Neuronomics, recently secured a 180-day extension from Nasdaq to address its minimum bid price requirement, and the fund could broaden its revenue base during that process. The fund also draws on DeFi Technologies infrastructure, including Stillman Digital, its institutional trading and liquidity platform.
The company has signaled that additional actively managed strategies could follow under Valour Funds SPC. Performance is not guaranteed and will depend on whether the AI models can consistently distinguish meaningful signals from noise across volatile market conditions.
Go deeper than the headline
Research every firm in this story, track the ones that matter and get the daily briefing — free for 7 days.