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BTC 
ETH Standard Chartered Bank becomes the first global systemically important bank to provide spot cryptocurrency trading services in the United Arab Emirates
Standard Chartered Bank has launched Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) spot trading services for its institutional clients in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), marking an important step in the expansion of the bank's digital asset business. The service is operated through entities regulated by the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC).
Standard Chartered said the move made it the first Global Systematically Important Bank (G-SIB) to provide spot trading of digital assets to institutional clients in United Arab Emirates, and is currently the only global bank in the region to provide such capabilities.
Eligible institutional clients can access deliverable Bitcoin and Ethereum spot transactions through Standard Chartered Bank's electronic trading channels. The service has been integrated into the bank's existing platform, allowing customers to perform cryptocurrency asset transactions through a foreign exchange interface. Customers can choose a custodian for settlement, including Standard Chartered Bank's United Arab Emirates digital asset custody service.
Relying on the existing digital asset layout
Standard Chartered Bank launched digital asset custody services in United Arab Emirates on September 10, 2024, and has previously obtained a DIFC license issued by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA). Bitcoin and Ethereum were the first assets to be supported, and Brevan Howard Digital was designated as the first hosting customer. The announcement released on Thursday added spot execution capabilities to this basis.
Standard Chartered Bank took the lead in providing Bitcoin and Ethereum spot transactions to institutional customers through its UK branch as early as July 2025, becoming the first global systemically important bank to provide deliverable Bitcoin and Ethereum spot transactions to institutional customers. This expansion in the United Arab Emirates brings the same capabilities to one of the most active digital currency markets in the world.
The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) introduced a dedicated crypto token regulatory framework in DIFC in 2022 and improved it with updates released in October 2025 and effective in January 2026. The new rules transfer more responsibility for token suitability assessment to authorizing agencies and add governance, disclosure and risk management obligations. This move by Standard Chartered Bank shows that large banks are increasingly confident in a local regulatory environment that is mature enough to support institutional-level cryptocurrency services.
