Standard Chartered’s Spot Crypto Trading for Institutional Investors Becomes an “Industry-First” Reality

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Standard Chartered’s spot crypto trading offering is now fully realised. The bank is the first G-SIB (Globally Systemically Important Bank) to offer its institutional clients direct spot trading access to Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) in a regulated manner.

The bank’s UK branch launched the service, according to a report published by Reuters on 15 July 2025. Reportedly, the new service integrates with Standard Chartered’s existing trading platforms, therefore allowing for the trading of BTC and ETH on familiar FX (Foreign Exchange) interfaces. Additionally, clients can settle with a custodian of their choice, including the bank’s in-house custody service offerings.

Rene Michau, Standard Chartered’s Global Head of Digital Assets, explained that while the offering is currently limited to Asian and European trading hours, 24/5 access is under consideration depending on client demand.

JUST IN: Standard Chartered becomes the first global bank to launch institutional trading for $BTC and $ETH, marking a major step in mainstream crypto adoption. pic.twitter.com/H7iAdLcd9T

— Isaac Nelson (@IsaacNelsonX17) July 15, 2025

Standard Chartered’s Group Chief Executive, Bill Winters, said, “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.”

Furthermore, the bank has notified that while the focus for now will remain on BTC and ETH, it will offer non-deliverable forwards as it expands its crypto product suite in the future.

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Standard Chartered’s Spot Crypto Trading Signals Crypto’s Arrival in Mainstream Banking

Over the years, Standard Chartered has maintained a cautiously optimistic outlook towards crypto. The recent spot trading offering by the bank has been in development since June last year, when it announced the launch of a spot trading desk for BTC and ETH.

Standard Chartered’s move into spot trading of crypto assets underscores a sharp pivot in how traditional financial (TradFi) banks interact with digital assets. Currently, most TradFi banks have limited their scope to offering custodial services or exposure via structured products and funds. This, however, might change in the future.

For now, Standard Chartered has a first-mover advantage in its offering of direct, real-time access to BTC and ETH trading, two of the most actively traded cryptocurrencies, all within the framework of the UK’s financial regulation.

The bank also gains a strategic upper hand with this offering. By integrating crypto offerings into its financial infrastructure, Standard Chartered has strengthened its client risk management and has positioned itself as an important cornerstone of an increasingly on-chain financial ecosystem.

Moreover, with this launch, the bank has expanded its suite of digital assets, including Zodia Custody and Zodia Markets that focus on secure crypto custody and trading infrastructure, along with Libeara, a specialised platform for digital asset tokenisation.

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Standard Chartered’s Quiet Foray into Digital Solution Expansion

In April, the Wall Street Journal revealed that Standard Chartered was exploring options to expand its crypto operations in the United States amid President Trump’s favourable crypto policies after longstanding regulatory hurdles.

The bank also partnered in April 2025 with OKX and Franklin Templeton to introduce a digital collateral mirroring program, aiming to bridge TradFi and digital asset management.

Moreover, earlier this year, in February, the bank’s Hong Kong subsidiary jointly launched its stablecoin venture with Animoca Brands, a local Web3 developer and Hong Kong Telecommunications (HKT).

The group plans to issue a Hong Kong dollar-backed stablecoin under the city’s new regulatory framework and has submitted an application to the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) for a license.

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Key Takeaways

• Standard Chartered has become the first global bank to enable spot crypto trading for BTC and ETH
• This offering will integrate into Standard Chartered’s already existing FX platforms
• This offering has been in development since June 2024 when the bank announced a desk for BTC and ETH spot trading

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