Standard Chartered Bank has introduced a cryptocurrency trading platform tailored for affluent clients in the United Arab Emirates. This service enables qualified investors to trade Bitcoin and Ether directly from their existing bank accounts.
Summary
- After receiving approval from the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), Standard Chartered now offers direct Bitcoin and Ether trading to qualified wealthy clients in the UAE.
- Professional Investor clients can seamlessly trade cryptocurrencies through their current bank accounts, eliminating the need for external wallets or separate exchanges.
- This service has been developed in collaboration with Zodia Markets, utilizing a closed-loop model where the bank manages both custody and settlement.
- This launch marks the bank’s initial foray into cryptocurrency trading for wealth clients worldwide; future expansions to additional markets are planned.
The bank’s press release notes that the service is currently available to Professional Investor clients in the UAE following VARA approval.
This new offering allows customers to buy and sell cryptocurrencies without the hassle of opening separate exchange accounts or creating personal digital wallets. Standard Chartered facilitates custody and settlement directly within its banking framework.
The bank has highlighted this launch as a pioneering cryptocurrency trading solution for its wealth clients globally and as the first of its kind offered by an international bank in the UAE.
The service was co-developed through the collaboration of Standard Chartered’s Wealth and Retail Banking and Corporate and Investment Banking divisions, along with Zodia Markets, a digital asset entity supported by SC Ventures.
Plans are in place to expand this service to other regions in the future, although specific timelines and potential markets have yet to be disclosed.
Standard Chartered Integrates Crypto Trading in Wealth Accounts
With this new initiative, qualified clients can trade Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) directly via their existing relationships with Standard Chartered.
The service operates on a closed-loop model where the bank oversees transactions, custody, and settlement, negating the need for clients to move assets through external wallets.
Standard Chartered stated that this structure aims to minimize risks associated with third-party wallets while ensuring premium custody and operational security.
Zodia Markets is actively involved in this service, enhancing the digital asset capabilities within the trading setup together with the bank’s wealth and investment banking divisions.
The announcement did not disclose details regarding minimum investments, trading fees, transaction limits, or the possibility of including cryptocurrencies beyond BTC and ETH in the future.
Samir Subberwal, Global Head of Wealth Solutions, Retail Products, Data & Analytics at Standard Chartered, indicated that the growing interest in digital assets is becoming integral to the bank’s wealth management strategy.
“As digital assets increasingly become part of mainstream wealth discussions, clients are not only seeking access but also the security and trust inherent in investing through a regulated institution,” stated Subberwal.
Prior to this launch, Standard Chartered had permitted its eligible wealth clients to invest in cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds via its cash equities platform.
The bank already offered various investment products, including structured products and over-the-counter derivatives, for exposure to cryptocurrency markets.
This new service additionally provides a direct avenue for BTC and ETH transactions, with custody and settlement managed by the bank.
UAE Launch Follows Institutional Trading Initiatives
The introduction of this service in the UAE aligns with Standard Chartered’s broader strategy that has included multiple cryptocurrency services for institutional clients over the last couple of years.
In September 2026, the bank launched institutional spot trading for Bitcoin and Ether at its Dubai International Financial Centre branch.
As reported by crypto.news, this institutional service allowed eligible clients to execute deliverable trades for BTC and ETH using the bank’s electronic trading channels and forex interfaces.
Clients could select their preferred custodian for settlement, including Standard Chartered’s own digital asset custody services.
The operational structure of this institutional service diverges from the new wealth product, which centralizes trading, custody, and settlement within the bank’s closed-loop model.
The UAE’s institutional trading offerings followed the launch of spot cryptocurrency trading through its UK branch in July 2025.
This prior service catered to institutional clients such as corporations and asset managers, facilitating Bitcoin and Ether trades through established foreign exchange systems.
The bank entered the UAE digital asset custody market in September 2024 after securing approval from the Dubai Financial Services Authority.
Brevan Howard Digital became the first client for this custody platform, which initially supported transactions for Bitcoin and Ether.
For the new wealth service, Standard Chartered has acquired VARA licensing approval, as indicated in its announcement.
Rola Abu Manneh, CEO for the UAE, Middle East, and Pakistan, emphasized the UAE’s favorable regulatory climate and innovative approach as key reasons for this launch.
“The UAE was an ideal choice for this launch, given its progressive vision towards innovation, strong regulatory framework, and growing dominance in digital assets,” she noted.
Abu Manneh recognized the UAE as one of four global wealth hubs for Standard Chartered.
Expanding on Crypto Custody and Stablecoin Services
In addition to trading Bitcoin and Ether, Standard Chartered is advancing its custody services for stablecoins and tokenized assets.
On October 12, the bank launched RLUSD custody services via its DIFC branch, allowing qualified institutional clients to hold Ripple’s dollar-pegged stablecoin on the XRP Ledger.
Additionally, the bank is collaborating with Ripple and LMAX Group on a separate arrangement to enable institutional clients to utilize RLUSD as trading collateral while safeguarding the underlying tokens in Standard Chartered’s custody.
This planned collateral service is still subject to testing, legal documentation, internal approval, and relevant regulatory conditions.
Standard Chartered has previously partnered with the cryptocurrency exchange OKX for collateral arrangements that allow institutions to trade while keeping assets outside of the exchange.
In this scenario, clients can store eligible cryptocurrencies and tokenized money market funds with Standard Chartered while the value of their collateral is recognized on OKX.
Furthermore, the bank announced plans for Singapore on October 8, which aims to offer custody services for selected cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, and tokenized real-world assets.
This offering will be targeted at institutional and accredited investor corporate clients and is expected to complement Standard Chartered’s existing Financing & Securities Services.
A launch date or the digital assets eligible has yet to be announced.
Standard Chartered has already established digital asset custody services in the UAE, Luxembourg, and Hong Kong.
These digital asset operations encompass trading, custody, and tokenization capabilities, bolstered by partnerships with companies such as Zodia Markets and Libeara.
In May 2026, Standard Chartered reached an agreement to acquire Zodia Custody’s regulated custody business, with plans to integrate this into its Financing & Securities Services division.
This proposed restructuring includes the creation of Zodia Solutions, a dedicated platform backed by SC Ventures, aimed at delivering digital asset infrastructure to banks and financial institutions.
The acquisition is still subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions as per the announcement.