Standard Chartered Dives Into Crypto: Institutional Bitcoin & Ether Spot Trading Now Live
Wall Street's crypto FOMO just got real. Standard Chartered—the $730 billion banking giant—has flipped the switch on Bitcoin and Ether spot trading for institutional clients. No more dipping toes; the old guard's diving in headfirst.
Why now? The bank's crypto division, SC Ventures, has been quietly building infrastructure since 2021. Today's move screams institutional demand—even if Jamie Dimon's still pretending to hate Bitcoin between private client meetings.
What's on offer? Full-spectrum services: custody, liquidity, and OTC execution. Translation: hedge funds and family offices can now ape into crypto without getting their hands dirty. The ultimate 'have your cake and eat it' moment for suits who mocked retail traders during the last bull run.
Bottom line: When banks start offering spot trading, it's not adoption—it's surrender. The real question? Which bulge bracket follows suit before Q4 earnings calls.
Kendrick says service meets demand
💼 Over 135 public companies now HOLD Bitcoin!
➡️ ~848,000 BTC on balance sheets
➡️ BlackRock’s IBIT ETF holds ~700,000 BTC
Institutional adoption is accelerating 🚀
Who’s next? 👀
Trade safely with https://t.co/VyXHYphRvI#Bitcoin #Institutions #CryptoAdoption pic.twitter.com/iVd4t8omgI
— Biconomy.com (@BiconomyCom) July 15, 2025
The Head of FX and Digital Assets Research at StanChart, Geoffrey Kendrick, said the new service met increasing institutional client demand for secure and reliable access to crypto assets. A recent KPMG and AIMA (Alternative Investment Management Association) report emphasizing the realness of this demand found that nearly 91% of hedge funds were either already invested in crypto or planned to invest in it in the next five years.
Biconomy also revealed that over 135 public firms included Bitcoin on their balance sheets. The institutions jointly controlled over 848K BTC, with BlackRock’s IBIT ETF holding 700K BTC. Blockware estimated that 36 more public companies plan to join the trend by the end of this year, an increase of about 25%.
Rene Michau, StanChart’s Global Head of Digital Assets, said the bank’s new offering is available during trading hours in Europe and Asia. Michau also claimed bragging rights that the bank is the first traditional financial institution to offer crypto trading.
“We define institutional clients as financial institutions such as asset managers and investors, and large multinational companies who are clients of our corporate and investment banking division.”
–Rene Michau, Global Head of Digital Assets at Standard Chartered
StanChart also disclosed that the new service integrates its existing trading platforms, allowing institutional clients to settle trades through the bank’s in-house FCA-approved custodial services. Customers also have the option to choose their preferred custodian(s). The focus will remain on BTC and ETH spot trading before expanding to other crypto assets.
Crypto becomes foundational in financial services
The Standard Chartered group’s CEO claims crypto is a “foundational element” of financial service evolution. He added that digital assets enable greater inclusion, growth, and new innovative pathways across the industry.
StanChart previously announced that it had secured licensing to offer regulated crypto custodial services in the UAE (last September) and Luxembourg (last January). A representative of the multinational bank said the institution is currently focused on investment banking clients and corporates, with no solid plans to extend beyond this scope.
The bank’s Global Head of Trading and XVA, Tony Hall, also claimed that the financial institution is well-positioned to meet its clients’ needs while capturing the industry’s opportunities. StanChart’s new service is built on its regulated banking infrastructure, integrating a strong balance sheet and institutional-grade controls for risk management.
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