Standard Chartered Jumps Into Crypto: Institutional Spot Trading for Bitcoin & Ethereum Goes Live

Wall Street's sleeping giant just woke up—with crypto trading desks.

Standard Chartered joins the institutional crypto gold rush, flipping the switch on spot trading for Bitcoin and Ethereum. No more synthetic products or futures contango headaches—just cold, hard digital assets hitting balance sheets.

Why now? Because even dinosaur banks smell the blood in the water. After a decade of dismissing crypto as 'rat poison,' suddenly every prime broker needs a piece. (Better late than never, right?)

The move signals a tipping point: When a $730B bank starts clearing spot trades, the 'wild west' narrative crumbles. Next stop? Regulatory rubber stamps and pension fund allocations—because nothing legitimizes like institutional greed.

One cynical footnote: Watch how fast compliance teams approve this versus your grandma's $100 wire to Kraken.

In Brief

• Standard Chartered has officially launched a spot Bitcoin and Ethereum trading service for institutional clients.
• The bank is now the first global systemically important bank to offer fully regulated and scalable crypto spot trading.
• The move expands its crypto presence alongside custody, tokenization, and real-world asset blockchain initiatives.

Standard Chartered’s new service

The new service is operated through Standard Chartered’s UK branch and is fully integrated with its existing platforms and FX interfaces. Clients can trade BTC and ETH with the option to settle using their preferred custodians, including Standard Chartered’s own digital custody service. The bank emphasized that this offering is backed by institutional-grade risk controls and the security of an FCA-registered global financial institution. CEO Bill Winters said:

Digital assets are a foundational element of the evolution in financial services. As client demand accelerates, we want to offer a safe, efficient route to trade and manage digital asset risk safely and efficiently within regulatory requirements.

A bigger bet on crypto

This launch builds on Standard Chartered’s growing footprint in digital assets. The bank holds stakes in Zodia Custody and Zodia Markets, which focus on secure crypto storage and OTC trading, respectively. In 2023, the firm also introduced Libeara, a blockchain unit dedicated to the tokenization of real-world assets.

Standard Chartered’s MOVE comes at a time when other financial giants are ramping up their crypto capabilities. JPMorgan Chase is piloting its own blockchain-based settlement token, while Charles Schwab has expressed interest in launching crypto trading support within the next year.

Why now?

The announcement follows months of preparation, with Standard Chartered working closely with regulators since at least June 2024. It also coincides with growing institutional interest in Bitcoin and ethereum amid ETF inflows and bullish price action.

Earlier this month, the bank’s Head of Digital Assets Research, Geoffrey Kendrick, predicted bitcoin could hit $135,000 by Q3 and $200,000 by year-end, citing increased corporate adoption and policy tailwinds.

By combining trading access with custody and tokenization infrastructure, Standard Chartered is positioning itself as a full-service gateway for institutions entering crypto.

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