Standard Chartered rolls out Bitcoin and Ethereum trading for institutions

Standard Chartered has taken a significant step into the cryptocurrency world. The global bank has launched a new service through its UK branch that allows institutional clients to trade Bitcoin ($BTC) and Ethereum ($ETH) directly.

This makes Standard Chartered the first major global bank to offer deliverable spot trading for these digital assets.

The launch comes as the crypto market is seeing huge growth, with Bitcoin recently hitting an all-time high of $123,000. Many firms are looking for ways to enter crypto markets but want to do it safely and under clear financial rules. 

Standard Chartered’s new offering gives companies, asset managers, and other institutional players a way to trade digital assets using a bank they know and trust.

Standard Chartered announced that its new crypto trading service is connected to the same systems its clients already use for foreign exchange (FX) trading. 

This means asset managers, corporate clients, and institutional investors can trade Bitcoin and Ethereum without needing to learn new platforms or change their internal processes.

The Global Head of Digital Assets at Standard Chartered, Rene Michau, explained, “We are targeting asset managers, corporates, and institutional investors”. 

He said the demand for crypto access is rising quickly, and many clients want to trade digital assets through a reputable banking partner.

One important feature of the new service is flexibility in how trades are settled. Clients can choose to settle through a custodian they already work with or use Standard Chartered’s own internal custody services. 

According to the bank, this ensures that transactions are handled safely, with strong oversight from regulators.

The Group Chief Executive of Standard Chartered, Bill Winters, said in a statement that digital assets are integral to enabling new pathways for innovation, greater inclusion and growth across the industry. He added,

“As client demand accelerates further, we want to offer clients a route to transact, trade and manage digital asset risk safely and efficiently within regulatory requirements”.

Expanding crypto services and building partnerships

This move into spot trading is not Standard Chartered’s first step into the digital assets world. The bank has been active in crypto for several years, building out services and partnerships to support its long-term digital strategy.

Standard Chartered is a major investor in Zodia Custody and Zodia Markets. These companies provide digital asset custody and over-the-counter (OTC) trading, offering secure infrastructure for crypto services. Together, they help the bank deliver a broad set of crypto offerings for clients.

Earlier this year, Standard Chartered also partnered with crypto exchange, OKX, to pilot a collateral management programme. This pilot lets institutions use tokenised money market funds and crypto as collateral – without having to place those assets directly on exchanges. 

It runs under Dubai’s Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority and through the bank’s Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) branch. This approach reduces risk and improves the safety of large transactions.

The Global Head of Trading and XVA at Standard Chartered, Tony Hall, said, “We are applying our global expertise, infrastructure, and risk management frameworks that our clients trust to the digital assets space. With growing interest in regulated digital asset solutions, we are well positioned to meet client needs while capturing the opportunities in this space.”

The bank has also signalled that its crypto services will continue to grow. In future phases, Standard Chartered plans to add non-deliverable forwards (NDFs) for Bitcoin and Ethereum. 

It is also considering offering 24/5 trading access, based on client demand. This would allow clients to trade five days a week, around the clock, giving them greater flexibility.

Growing institutional interest and global impact

The launch of spot crypto trading by Standard Chartered comes at a time when global interest in digital assets is increasing. 

In the United States, lawmakers are currently holding the first-ever “Crypto Week” in the House of Representatives, where they are discussing possible new laws for digital assets.

Other big names in finance are also making moves. Just yesterday, crypto investment giant Grayscale filed for an initial public offering (IPO) with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), reflecting growing interest from institutional players.

Standard Chartered has reportedly been working on plans to launch its Bitcoin and Ethereum spot trading desk since at least mid-2024. 

The bank has said it has been working closely with regulators to support institutional client demand, aiming to cover the entire digital asset ecosystem – from access and custody to tokenisation and cross-platform connections.

Besides trading, the bank’s blockchain unit, Libeara, is helping institutions tokenise real-world financial assets. This process turns assets like money market funds into digital tokens, opening up new ways for firms to invest and manage their assets.

Standard Chartered’s Global Head of Digital Assets Research, Geoffrey Kendrick, has been bullish on Bitcoin’s future. He recently predicted that Bitcoin could hit $135,000 by the end of the third quarter and reach $200,000 by the end of the year. 

Kendrick points to factors such as rising demand from exchange-traded funds (ETFs), increased corporate treasury buying, and positive policy developments as key reasons for this growth.

At present, Bitcoin is trading at around $116,894, up nearly 12% in the third quarter. Ethereum has also climbed, rising 20% over the same period to approximately $2,986. 

The global crypto market capitalisation stands at $3.74 trillion, with Bitcoin trading volume soaring by 256% to reach $180 billion amid recent price swings.

For now, Standard Chartered’s crypto trading services are limited to its UK operations. However, the bank has made it clear that it plans to expand these offerings as demand grows and as regulatory conditions in other key financial markets evolve.

Winters summed up the bank’s approach, saying, “As client demand accelerates further, we want to offer clients a route to transact, trade and manage digital asset risk safely and efficiently within regulatory requirements”.

By adding Bitcoin and Ethereum spot trading to its services, Standard Chartered is moving one step ahead in the world of digital finance. 

It is giving institutional clients a secure, regulated path into crypto, while also strengthening its own position as a leader in the growing digital asset market.

As more traditional financial players enter the crypto space, moves like this from Standard Chartered are likely to set the tone for the next phase of institutional crypto adoption. 

Whether through trading, custody, or tokenisation, the bank is working to meet the needs of its clients – and to help shape the future of finance.

The launch also puts the spotlight on the competitive nature of global banking, where firms are racing to offer the most comprehensive and secure digital asset services.