Standard Chartered Offers Bitcoin and Ethereum Trading
Standard Chartered has officially launched a new crypto trading service, enabling institutional and corporate clients to trade major digital assets.
The bank will initially offer spot trading for Bitcoin and Ethereum through its UK branch, with availability during Asia and Europe trading hours. A move to 24/5 trading access is under consideration, depending on client demand.
“Digital assets are a foundational element of the evolution in financial services. They’re integral to enabling new pathways for innovation, greater inclusion and growth across the industry,” said Bill Winters, group chief executive of Standard Chartered.
The new service is fully integrated into the bank’s existing platforms, allowing institutional users to trade crypto via familiar foreign exchange interfaces. Clients can also choose their own crypto custodian or opt for options such as Standard Chartered’s proprietary custody solutions or Zodia Custody, an affiliated provider.
The bank has been expanding its crypto custody presence, previously launching regulated custody services for Bitcoin and Ether in the UAE, and securing a license for similar services in Luxembourg earlier this year.
Standard Chartered is registered with the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as a crypto asset service provider and aims to deliver a regulated, secure, and scalable offering supported by institutional-grade risk controls. While onboarding starts in the UK, the bank plans to make the service available to its global institutional client base.
“Clients need to be set up to trade with Standard Chartered UK to be able to trade but the service is available to our global client base,” a bank spokesperson confirmed.
Following the spot trading launch, Standard Chartered plans to introduce crypto non-deliverable forwards (NDFs). When asked about expansion to retail customers, the bank stated that its current focus remains solely on corporate and investment banking clients.
This initiative builds on Standard Chartered’s broader strategy to explore blockchain, tokenized assets, and institutional crypto infrastructure. The bank first revealed its plans to establish a crypto trading desk for institutions in June 2024.
Sources:
https://cointelegraph.com/news/standard-chartered-bitcoin-ether-trading-institutions