Standard Chartered Bank introduces institutional bitcoin and Ethereum transactions to United Arab Em

Standard Chartered Bank expands Bitcoin and Ethereum spot trading to institutional customers in the United Arab Emirates through its Dubai International Financial Center branch

Standard Chartered Bank has extended its institutional Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) spot trading services to the United Arab Emirates, providing eligible customers with deliverable cryptocurrency transactions through the bank's existing electronic trading system through its branch in the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC).

The first global systemically important bank to provide such services

Standard Chartered Bank announced on September 3 that this move makes it the first global systemically important bank (G-SIB) to provide spot trading of digital assets to institutional customers in the United Arab Emirates, and is currently the only global bank in the region to provide this capability. Eligible institutional customers can trade Bitcoin and Ethereum through Standard Chartered Bank's existing foreign exchange trading interfaces and electronic channels.

In terms of settlement, customers can choose their own designated custodian, including Standard Chartered Bank's own United Arab Emirates digital asset custody services. The move combines Standard Chartered Bank's separate trading and custody capabilities in the United Arab Emirates since 2024, and extends its spot trading business, which was first launched last year through its UK branch, to a wider market.

Direct delivery through DIFC branches

The transaction service is provided through Standard Chartered Bank's branch in the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC). Unlike traditional derivatives, customers will receive deliverable Bitcoin and Ethereum directly, rather than gaining price exposure simply through derivatives that are pegged to the price of cryptocurrencies. Standard Chartered Bank began providing similar institutional-level deliverable spot transactions through its UK branch as early as July 2025, becoming the first G-SIB to provide such services to institutional customers.

It was previously reported that this service in the UK is open to institutional customers including companies, asset management companies and professional investors, and transactions are completed through the bank's existing foreign exchange trading interface. The deployment in United Arab Emirates brings the transaction architecture to the same market where Standard Chartered already operates regulated digital asset custody services.

CEO: Regulatory framework supports institutional participation

Rola Abu Manneh, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank's United Arab Emirates, Middle East and Pakistan, said that the country's regulatory framework strongly supports institutional clients to participate in the digital asset space. "Expanding our Bitcoin and Ethereum spot trading capabilities to institutional customers is an important step in our expansion of our portfolio of regulated digital assets in the market."

She pointed out that combining execution, custody, governance and the international network of banks provides a more integrated path for institutional customers to enter the digital asset market.

Separation of execution and custody gives customers more options

Standard Chartered Bank does not require customers using the new transaction service to deposit Bitcoin or Ethereum with the bank. Institutional customers can settle transactions through a custodian of their choice, allowing them to separate transaction execution from asset storage. Standard Chartered Bank's own digital asset custody platform is still one of the options available.

Standard Chartered Bank launched the custody service in United Arab Emirates in September 2024 and obtained a license issued by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA). Bitcoin and Ethereum were the first assets supported, and Brevan Howard Digital was named as the first customer. Subsequently, its role in the country's institutional crypto infrastructure expanded further, such as through the "Collateral Mirrors Program" in partnership with OKX in April 2025.

Under the arrangement, institutional customers can keep eligible collateral with Standard Chartered Bank and use its value to trade on OKX. Assets are still held by banks rather than being transferred directly to exchanges, and the corresponding collateral balance is mirrored in the customer's trading account. The project was originally launched in United Arab Emirates with the support of Brevan Howard and Franklin Templeton. In April 2026, the framework was extended to BlackRock tokenized U.S. Treasury fund BUIDL, which can be used as collateral by eligible institutions and VIP customers, while Standard Chartered Bank holds the fund off-the-counter. OKX handles margin and clearing in its trading system, while clients retain ownership of tokenized funds and their proceeds under the structure.

DIFC provides a regulated trading basis

Christopher Parsons, senior executive officer of Standard Chartered Bank DIFC, said that the financial center provides a solid foundation for international financial institutions to deploy regional market services. "Expanding our institutional digital asset trading capabilities through this center proves the advantages of this model." He cited the combination of Standard Chartered's markets operations, international networks and presence in the regulated DIFC.

Standard Chartered Bank has used DIFC for multiple parts of its institutional digital asset business. Its custody platform operates in the financial center, and some collateral arrangements involving digital assets are also built around assets held by banks in Dubai. Standard Chartered Bank's digital asset business extends beyond the United Arab Emirates through corporate banking and investment banking and related joint ventures. Its institutional strategy covers custody, trading and tokenization, with Zodia Markets focusing on digital asset trading infrastructure and Libeara developing tokenization products.

Continuation of the trading model launched in the UK

The United Arab Emirates service was launched after more than a year of development in Standard Chartered Bank's direct institutional crypto trading business. When the UK business goes online in July 2025, Bitcoin and Ethereum trading will be integrated into existing institutional trading platforms, allowing customers to access cryptocurrencies through the existing infrastructure of traditional markets. Standard Chartered said at the time that the set-up was designed to allow institutions to trade and manage digital asset exposure in their regulated banking environment.

Since then, the bank has tested other structures that connect crypto transactions with traditional financial market infrastructure. Its digital asset activities include direct spot execution, custody, collateral services and tokenization, while its venture capital business provides independent trading and tokenization asset capabilities. For United Arab Emirates customers, the September 3 rollover will add direct Bitcoin and Ethereum execution capabilities to the hosting infrastructure operated on DIFC since September 2024. Institutions using the service can route transactions through the bank's electronic trading channels and select asset storage locations, including settlement to Standard Chartered Bank's own custody platform.