Salus launches on IOTA to bridge global trade finance gap for mineral supply chains

LONDON. September 10, 2025 — Salus, the digital trade finance platform for critical minerals, is launching with the first verified tantalum exports from Rwanda to the United States. Built on the IOTA network, Salus harnesses decentralized finance (DeFi) to inject stablecoin liquidity and generate asset-backed yields, helping address the $2.5 trillion global trade finance gap, which is acutely felt in the critical minerals sector valued at approximately $500 billion and growing.  As renewable energy needs rise exponentially, securing competitive and reliable access to raw materials has become paramount for the United States.

The solution arrives amid 2025's intensified geopolitical race for critical minerals. As the IEA forecasts mineral needs for the energy transition to more than double by 2040, recent policies have prioritized a domestic and diversified supply but tariffs and tensions are driving record volatility on international and American commodities exchanges. 

Salus enables companies and investors in the U.S. to fund mineral flows without needing to own mines. The platform combines smart digital contracts, in-market verification, secure physical custody, and stablecoin-based payments to create real-time, auditable trade corridors.

“We’re working with miners, funders, and buyers to redesign trade finance from the ground up,” says Trevor Skidmore, Co-Founder of Salus. “With smart contracts and stablecoins, we can fund minerals at source, on verifiable terms, with real delivery and traceability built in.”

The team behind Salus includes the founders of TradeFlow Capital, a leading innovator in digitized, physical commodity finance. This blend of blockchain infrastructure with deep commodity finance expertise positions Salus to scale rapidly in underserved markets.

Salus is already operational in Rwanda, and additional jurisdictions across Africa and Latin America are underway. With a growing pipeline of mineral flows, funders, and offtake counterparties, the platform is targeting $100 million in gross merchandise value by the end of 2025.

“This is where decades of physical trade experience meet new digital rails,” says James Rilett, Co-Founder of Salus. “Salus shows how DeFi can drive real-world impact, enabling efficient, transparent, and compliant supply chains across multiple jurisdictions.”

“Salus is a flagship use case utilizing IOTA’s decentralized ledger network and its enterprise solutions for tokenized trade finance,” says Dominik Schiener, Co-Founder of IOTA. “The project is furthering our work through TWIN, our solution to digitize trade, to facilitate global trade. Salus will be a key driver to tokenize critical minerals and beyond.”

Salus is now engaging with liquidity providers ranging from stablecoin treasuries and DeFi funds to institutional trade finance players. The platform offers short-duration, asset-backed exposure to verified mineral flows that are fully traceable, auditable, and aligned with global ESG and compliance standards.