NY-DIGITAL-CURRENCY
Digital Currency Group (DCG), a global enterprise that builds, buys, and invests in blockchain companies, today announced the acquisition of Luno , a leading cryptocurrency exchange. Based in London and with regional hubs in Singapore and Cape Town, Luno has grown significantly in recent years, with nearly 400 employees and more than five million global customers spanning over 40 countries. New York-based DCG will be making a significant financial commitment to help Luno expand globally, both in geographies where Luno currently operates and beyond. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Led by co-founder and CEO Marcus Swanepoel, Luno has become a digital asset powerhouse in many emerging and frontier markets, providing digital asset education, knowledge, and investment tools for individuals in Africa, Asia, and Europe. Luno has helped broaden the global crypto investment community and the company has seen record growth of its customer base in 2020. Luno is a leading exchange in several countries that have the highest percentage of cryptocurrency ownership, including South Africa (third-highest percentage of its citizens owning digital currencies), Nigeria (fifth-highest), Indonesia (sixth-highest), and Malaysia (tenth-highest).1
DCG is an investment firm that has backed more than 160 blockchain companies around the world. In addition to its venture portfolio, DCG is the parent company of several wholly-owned subsidiaries, including Grayscale Investments (the world’s largest digital currency asset manager), Genesis (a leading digital asset prime brokerage), CoinDesk (the preeminent media and events company in the industry), and the recently-launched Foundry , which provides institutional expertise, capital, and market intelligence to bitcoin miners and manufacturers.
DCG first invested in Luno in its seed round in 2014.
“We are proud to have supported Luno as an early investor, and we recognize a shared commitment to building mission-driven companies that can help transform traditional financial services and improve economic freedom for people all over the world,” said DCG Founder and CEO Barry Silbert. “Luno is a high growth, global business and there is a massive opportunity to expand organically and through acquisitions.”
DCG enables its subsidiaries to operate as independent companies, providing leadership, partnership, and investment capital to help scale the businesses. The Luno leadership team will remain entirely intact and Swanepoel will lead acquisition efforts in his role as CEO.
“The past seven years have been an incredibly exciting journey for Luno – helping millions of our customers get access to crypto for the first time,” said Swanepoel. “DCG has been an integral part of the Luno story during all of this time, and we’ve been fully aligned on our vision and culture since day one. Having the full backing of DCG just as we’re experiencing such a pivotal moment of growth in the industry is not just an exciting and important milestone for Luno, but more importantly it will significantly accelerate our ability to reach our goal to help upgrade 1 billion people to a better financial system by 2030.”
“We have been extremely impressed with Marcus and the Luno team since we made our initial investment,” added Silbert. “Marcus understands our culture and appreciates how well Luno fits into the DCG family. He is a focused, high integrity leader and exactly the kind of person we want running one of our companies at this critical moment when the crypto industry is at an inflection point.”
Founded in 2013, Luno has been backed by global tech giant the Naspers Group and Balderton Capital amongst others. During these last seven years, Luno has maintained its commitment to upgrading the world to a better financial system. The company believes that the legacy system was built for a non-digital age, ignoring the needs of modern individuals and adding unnecessary inefficiencies and gatekeepers. The world now has access to new technologies like Bitcoin and Ethereum that will fundamentally change how the world views and uses money. Like communication evolving from landlines to mobile phones, money is finally catching up with other information revolutions.
Luno maintains regional offices in Kuala Lumpur, Lagos, Jakarta, and Johannesburg, and will continue to focus on the existing geographies where it operates across Europe, Africa, and Asia. The Luno team has also developed an aggressive road map for future growth and will ultimately compete with financial services firms globally. Luno is actively hiring for positions all over the world.
About Digital Currency Group
DCG is a global enterprise that builds, buys, and invests in blockchain companies all over the world. Founded in 2015 by CEO Barry Silbert, DCG is the most active investor in the blockchain sector, with a mission to accelerate the development of a better financial system through the proliferation of digital assets and blockchain technology.
Today, DCG sits at the epicenter of the industry, backing more than 160 companies in 35 countries. DCG also invests directly in digital currencies and other digital assets.
In addition to its investment portfolio, DCG is the parent company of Grayscale Investments, Genesis, CoinDesk, and Foundry.
About Luno
Luno is a leading global cryptocurrency company on a mission to upgrade the world to a better financial system.
Co-founded by CEO Marcus Swanepoel and CTO Timothy Stranex, Luno launched in 2013 and has built a team of nearly 400 with its headquarters in London with regional hubs in Singapore and Cape Town. With over 5 million customers spanning in over 40 countries, Luno’s products and services make it safe and easy to buy, sell, store and learn about cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum.
1 Source: Digital 2020: Global Digital Overview
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200909005262/en/
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
NIQ Joins TikTok Marketing Partners Program Earning Media Mix Modeling Badge24.11.2025 12:00:00 CET | Press release
Recognition underscores NIQ’s leadership in delivering advanced analytics and full-funnel outcomes measurement on TikTok. NIQ, a global leader in consumer intelligence, has earned a partner badge in TikTok’s newly launched Media Mix Modeling (MMM) program – a focus area within TikTok’s Marketing Partners Program. The Marketing Partners Program is composed of carefully selected third-party partners across different categories and specialties who have met TikTok’s rigorous standards for quality and expertise. Badging signals advanced proficiency in media analytics, ensuring state-of-the-art MMM measurement for marketers around the world. As a badged MMM Marketing Partner, NIQ can help advertisers measure the full funnel impact of their marketing campaigns on TikTok and TikTok Shop, enabling them to optimize strategies based on data-driven insights that look beyond last click attribution. As part of the Marketing Partners Program, TikTok’s new reporting API is integrated into NIQ, providi
LRN Sponsors 2025 Nordic Ethics & Compliance Survey to Advance Region-Specific Insights on Responsible Business Conduct24.11.2025 10:00:00 CET | Press release
LRN and Nordic Business Ethics partner to elevate region-specific insights that strengthen global E&C effectiveness LRN Corporation, a leader in ethics and compliance (E&C) solutions, announced its sponsorship of the 2025 Nordic Ethics & Compliance Survey, an annual study by Nordic Business Ethics examining how organizations across the Nordic region integrate ethics, responsibility, and compliance into daily decision-making. LRN’s sponsorship supports the survey’s mission to highlight regional insights that enrich global understanding of workplace ethics. The partnership reflects LRN’s belief that effective E&C programs are not a one-size-fits-all solution and must be informed by regional cultural norms and organizational identity. The survey data shows that while Nordic organizations excel in values-driven ethics, their experience mirrors a global trend of increased regulatory expectations and company growth straining operational systems and governance structures. “Nordic organization
IonQ Appoints Dr. Marco Pistoia as CEO of IonQ Italia to Spearhead Strategic Quantum Initiatives Across the Country24.11.2025 09:00:00 CET | Press release
Industry veteran Pistoia to drive enterprise and research engagement as IonQ deepens investment in Italy’s quantum future IonQ (NYSE: IONQ), the world’s leading quantum company, today announced the appointment of Dr. Marco Pistoia, Ph.D., as Chief Executive Officer of IonQ Italia S.r.l., a wholly owned subsidiary. Dr. Pistoia will lead IonQ’s strategic initiatives in Italy, building on the company’s momentum as the world’s only full-stack quantum platform provider across quantum computing, quantum networking, quantum sensing, and quantum security. IonQ Italia will help establish Italy as a dynamic powerhouse in the global quantum landscape. Dr. Pistoia and his team will focus on expanding access to IonQ’s advanced quantum systems for Italian enterprises, research institutions, and government partners. The team will be tasked with driving innovation in quantum applications for key sectors such as finance, energy, aerospace, defense, pharmaceuticals, and advanced manufacturing. “Italy is
Global Youth Invited To Apply for Doha Debates Ambassador Program24.11.2025 07:45:00 CET | Press release
Unique virtual program empowers young changemakers with communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills Qatar Foundation’s Doha Debates is inviting global youth ages 18–26 to apply for the eighth cohort of its international ambassador program. This 12-week virtual experience empowers participants to engage in constructive dialogue, collaborate on solutions to global challenges and form lasting relationships with other emerging leaders. The application deadline is December 15, 2025. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251123068415/en/ Global youth are invited to apply for the Doha Debates Ambassador Program, a unique virtual experience that equips young changemakers with communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. (Photo: AETOSWire) The upcoming cohort begins with a four-week Community of Practice from January 20 to February 10, 2026, followed by the official Ambassador Program from February
Brown Brothers Media Acquires European Startup Media Platform Silicon Canals24.11.2025 03:23:00 CET | Press release
Brown Brothers Media, a Singapore-based digital publisher, announces the acquisition of SiliconCanals.com, the European technology startup media platform and community founded by Remco Janssen and operated under Proudly Media. The six-figure, asset-based deal marks a new chapter for the 11-year-old Dutch media brand, which has grown into one of Europe’s leading voices in the startup and innovation ecosystem. Founded in 2014, Silicon Canals has established itself as a go-to source for news and insights on Europe’s tech, venture capital, and startup scene. The acquisition follows recent shifts in the European tech media landscape, including the closure of The Next Web’s editorial operations and MeOut Group’s earlier acquisition of EU-Startups. “After more than a decade building Silicon Canals into a trusted platform connecting Europe’s founders, innovators, and investors, it was time to pass the baton to a full-fledged, long-term media house,” said Remco Janssen, founder and CEO of Proud
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom