About SimplB
SimplB is South Africa’s first regulated Bitcoin-only company and still the only regulated firm in the country focused on self-custody. It was built by James Caw after six years of helping South Africans buy Bitcoin correctly and move it off exchanges into wallets they actually controlled.
What we do
SimplB exists to make proper Bitcoin ownership accessible. That means structured brokerage with FICA-compliant onboarding, regulated custody, and inheritance planning built in from the first purchase.
This is not a trading platform. It is not a crypto exchange. It is a firm designed around one question: what does it take to own Bitcoin correctly for the long term, in a way that can withstand regulatory scrutiny, survive the death of the holder, and grow without relying on exchange custody?
SimplB serves individuals, family offices, independent financial advisers, fiduciaries, and companies across South Africa. The common thread is a client who wants Bitcoin ownership that can be explained clearly to a financial adviser, an executor, or a compliance officer.
Why SimplB
Bitcoin has a different risk profile, custody model and regulatory position from the broader crypto market. SimplB focuses entirely on Bitcoin. No altcoins, no speculation, no exchange dependency.
SimplB operates as a Juristic Representative of CAEP Asset Managers (FSP 33933) under the FSCA. Every client account is named, FICA-compliant and subject to regulated conduct standards.
The SimplVault is a managed 2-of-3 multisig structure. Client holds 2 keys. SimplB holds 1. No single point of failure. No counterparty exposure. The same security architecture used by institutional Bitcoin custodians globally.
A Bitcoin position with no documented recovery plan is not a secure Bitcoin position. Inheritance and estate planning is part of the onboarding process for all vault clients.
2015 to 2024
James Caw started buying Bitcoin in 2015. Getting into it locally required navigating thin exchanges, clumsy onboarding and almost no practical guidance.
He became the person people around him asked when they wanted to start.
What started with friends and family became a part-time OTC brokerage. By 2020, James had helped nearly 1,000 people buy Bitcoin and, critically, move it off exchanges into self-custody wallets they held themselves.
Not buy and leave on a platform. Buy, withdraw, and hold the keys.
That distinction shaped everything that followed. What became clear across those years is that most Bitcoin problems are not buying problems. They are custody problems, inheritance problems and documentation problems. People who had bought Bitcoin had no documented plan for what would happen to it if they died or lost a device.
James published a practical guide to Bitcoin self-custody that was downloaded more than 3,000 times, and began writing The Strategic Reserve, first printed in 2025.
He also hosts The Strategic Reserve podcast: weekly conversations on self-custody, multisig, estate planning and regulatory compliance.
2021
By 2021 James was Head of Marketing for the largest international money transfer business based in Plettenberg Bay, working across foreign exchange treasury, cross-border payments and financial services. It gave him an operational view of how money moves, how compliance works in practice, and how clients in financial services actually make decisions.
That year he sold his shareholding in the joint venture and turned his attention fully to Bitcoin. The question he was working through was not how to build another exchange or another app. It was what the next generation of serious Bitcoin users actually needed, and what the business that served them properly would have to look like.
The answer kept pointing in the same direction: a structured brokerage with FICA-compliant onboarding, a named exchange account for every client, a clear custody plan from the first purchase, and inheritance structures built in from the start.
A Bitcoin business designed around long-term ownership rather than short-term volume.
SimplB today
SimplB welcomed its first client in September 2024. Every client since has gone through the same structured onboarding process: identity verification, source-of-funds declaration, account setup in their own name, and a conversation about where their Bitcoin will sit as the balance grows and what happens to it if something happens to them.
The business is Bitcoin-only by design. Bitcoin has a different risk profile, a different custody model and a different regulatory position from the broader crypto market. Treating them the same produces worse outcomes for clients.
SimplB does not offer crypto trading, does not run speculative positions and does not chase volume.
SimplB operates as a Juristic Representative of CAEP Asset Managers (Pty) Ltd, FSP 33933, under the Financial Sector Conduct Authority. Every client account is named, FICA-compliant and subject to the same conduct standards as any other regulated financial intermediary in South Africa.
Services
Named exchange accounts with FICA-compliant onboarding. Transparent brokerage fees. Forced withdrawal into self-custody on every purchase.
Managed 2-of-3 multisig custody. Client holds 2 keys, SimplB holds 1. Governance documentation, compliance reporting and board-ready audit trails included.
Fixed monthly purchases through a named account. A structured, low-friction way to build a Bitcoin position over time without market-timing decisions.
Recovery documentation, heir instructions and executor briefing for all vault clients. Bitcoin ownership is only complete when there is a lawful plan for what happens next.
The work
Most clients start with a Rand cost averaging arrangement: a fixed amount invested each month through a named exchange account, with a 3% brokerage fee applied transparently to each purchase.
As the balance grows, Bitcoin moves to self-custody. SimplB supports both hardware wallet setup and a managed 2-of-3 multisig vault for clients who want a more structured security model.
Inheritance and recovery planning is part of the onboarding process for all vault clients. A Bitcoin position with no documented recovery path is not a secure Bitcoin position. Heirs need a lawful way to access the funds if something happens to the primary holder.
SimplB works with individuals, family offices, companies and trusts across South Africa. The common thread across all of them is that they want to own Bitcoin properly, with a structure that can be explained to a financial adviser, an executor or a compliance officer without ambiguity.
Talks and writing
James has spoken at the UJ Business School, moderated sessions at the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Summit (April 2025) and at Crypto Fest SA. His writing on Bitcoin custody and inheritance has been read by thousands of South Africans making their first serious Bitcoin decisions.
James is based in George on the Garden Route. jamescaw.com carries his full biography, published work and podcast archive.
Get in touch
Book a Bitcoin discovery call. No commitment and no sales pitch. An honest conversation about what proper Bitcoin ownership looks like for your situation.
Book a Bitcoin Discovery CallSimplB operates as a Juristic Representative of CAEP Asset Managers (Pty) Ltd, FSP 33933
Written by James Caw, Founder of SimplB. James has helped South Africans understand, buy and secure Bitcoin since 2015. SimplB operates as a Juristic Representative of CAEP Asset Managers, FSP 33933. Last updated: May 2026.
This page is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, tax or exchange control advice. The information reflects the regulatory position as at the date of publication. Your individual circumstances may differ and you should seek qualified professional advice before making any decisions.
