StanChart Doubles Down: Institutional Investors Can Now Trade Spot Bitcoin & Ether Directly

Wall Street's crypto FOMO just got real. Standard Chartered—the $730 billion banking dinosaur—finally cracked open its vaults for digital assets.

No more synthetic exposure or shady OTC desks. Institutions can now trade spot BTC and ETH directly through SC's FX trading desk. Finally catching up to crypto-native firms that have been printing money on this for years.

The twist? They're rolling this out mid-2025, just as regulators start circling like vultures over Tether reserves. Perfect timing—for maximum institutional pain.

One thing's clear: When traditional finance starts offering 'spot' crypto, it's not adoption—it's surrender.

Building on Collateral and Stablecoin Moves Across Asia

The rollout reflects growing appetite among institutional investors to integrate digital assets into traditional portfolios. It also positions StanChart as a frontrunner among mainstream banks adapting to the maturing crypto market.

StanChart has been quietly building its crypto footprint through a series of targeted initiatives. In April 2025, the bank partnered with OKX and Franklin Templeton to introduce a digital collateral mirroring program, aimed at bridging traditional finance and digital asset management.

Earlier this year, in February, its Hong Kong subsidiary joined forces with Animoca Brands and HKT to launch a new stablecoin venture. 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 for a license.

StanChart Breaks New Ground as Traditional Banks Tiptoe Toward Real-Time Crypto Trading

The UK-based lender, known for its focus on emerging markets and institutional clients, has been cautiously optimistic about crypto. The Wall Street Journal reported in April that both StanChart and Deutsche Bank were exploring new avenues to grow their crypto businesses in the United States, following years of regulatory pushback.

StanChart’s entry into spot trading marks a significant evolution in how traditional banks interact with digital assets. Until now, most large financial institutions have limited themselves to offering custody or indirect exposure through structured products and funds.

With spot trading now on the table, institutional clients can execute real-time transactions in bitcoin and ether, two of the most widely held and liquid cryptocurrencies, while staying within the bounds of UK regulation.

The offering also serves a strategic purpose. By integrating crypto capabilities into its Core financial infrastructure, StanChart can better manage client risk, deepen relationships with forward-looking asset managers and expand its services in a market that is increasingly moving on-chain.

While competitors are still navigating internal policies and regulatory uncertainty, StanChart’s latest MOVE shows it is betting on crypto becoming a permanent fixture in institutional finance.