OKX and Standard Chartered Launch Institutional Crypto Custody Solution in Europe
In a significant development for institutional cryptocurrency adoption, Standard Chartered has partnered with crypto exchange OKX to launch a comprehensive custody solution for European institutional clients. The collaboration represents a major step forward in bridging traditional finance with digital assets, offering a hybrid model that combines secure custody with trading flexibility. This initiative, building upon successful testing in Dubai, addresses the growing demand from institutional investors for regulated and secure digital asset storage while maintaining access to liquid trading markets. The timing of this partnership coincides with increasing institutional interest in cryptocurrency exposure and the need for banking-grade security solutions in the digital asset space. As regulatory frameworks continue to evolve across Europe, this partnership positions both institutions at the forefront of institutional crypto services, potentially setting a new standard for how traditional financial institutions and crypto exchanges can collaborate to serve sophisticated investors. The collateral mirroring program specifically allows institutions to maintain their trading positions on OKX's platform while their underlying assets remain securely custodied with Standard Chartered, eliminating counterparty risk concerns that have historically hindered institutional participation. This model not only enhances security but also provides operational efficiency for institutions looking to allocate capital to digital assets. The European launch follows careful regulatory consideration and market analysis, with both companies expressing confidence in the growing institutional appetite for crypto services in the region. Industry observers see this partnership as a validation of the maturing crypto ecosystem and a signal that traditional financial institutions are increasingly comfortable engaging with established crypto platforms. As we move further into 2025, such collaborations between traditional banks and crypto native companies are expected to become more common, potentially accelerating institutional adoption and bringing more sophisticated financial products to the digital asset space.
Standard Chartered Partners with OKX for Institutional Crypto Custody in Europe
Standard Chartered has entered a strategic partnership with OKX to provide crypto custody services for institutional clients across Europe. The newly launched collateral mirroring program, initially tested in Dubai, allows institutions to securely store digital assets with the bank while maintaining trading flexibility on OKX's platform. This hybrid solution addresses growing institutional demand for regulated custody paired with exchange liquidity.
The collaboration signals a maturation of crypto infrastructure as traditional finance players increasingly engage with digital assets. OKX Europe CEO Erald Ghoos emphasized the significance of partnering with a globally systemically important bank, noting it challenges outdated perceptions of crypto markets being unregulated. The MOVE comes amid heightened scrutiny of exchange reliability following October's market turmoil that saw $20 billion in liquidations.
Meanwhile, AI-driven projects like DeepSnitch AI are capitalizing on the institutional tailwinds, having raised $430K in presale funding. The project positions itself as a safer gateway to meme coin investing through artificial intelligence, with proponents predicting substantial growth potential by 2026.
OKX Launches Rubix: Digital Assets-as-a-Service for Financial Institutions
OKX, a leading digital asset exchange and global on-chain technology company, has introduced OKX Rubix—a modular workflow solution designed for regulated financial institutions. The platform enables these institutions to offer digital-asset services without the need for new infrastructure or additional operational overhead.
Rubix integrates seamlessly with existing front-, middle-, and back-office processes, combining Core components such as market access, execution, custody, settlement, and controls into a unified framework. This allows institutions to maintain their client experience, policies, and governance while providing regulated digital-asset services.
The solution offers customizable building blocks, including regulated market access across multiple jurisdictions, DEEP liquidity and execution options, post-trade settlement for capital efficiency, and connectivity with existing OMS/EMS systems. Off-exchange custody is also part of the offering, though details remain incomplete in the provided text.
