Recent advancements in identifying magnetic van der Waals (vdW) materialsthat can be isolated down to a single 2D layer provide opportunities for probing and manipulating spin dependent phenomena down to the atomically thin limit. The reduction of magnetic volume, combined with the unique attributes such as low-damping could enable spintronic devices with better efficiencies. Addi- tionally, a major advantage of vdW materials is their universal compatibility with other layers without the need for lattice matching across the vdW gap. These atomically flat interfaces between layers allow for the investigation of interfacial physics without effects of inter diffusion common in conventional heterostruc- tures. Such pristine interfaces may also enhance the coupling of spin and charge between layers, optimizing mechanisms such as spin-transfer torques and volt- age controlled magneto-anisotropy. With the discovery of high spin-to-charge conversion efficiencies in van der Waals topological insulators, as well as non- conventional spin-orbit torques in low-symmetry van der Waals materials, van der Waals heterostructures are a promising platform for building next generation highly efficient, highly scalable magnetic memory.