Standard Chartered Launches BTC & ETH Spot Trading for Institutions
Standard Chartered has gone mainstream with crypto, launching spot trading for Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) for institutional...
Quick overview
- Standard Chartered has launched spot trading for Bitcoin and Ethereum for institutional investors through its UK subsidiary.
- This makes Standard Chartered the first major global bank to provide secure and regulated access to BTC and ETH trading.
- The integration allows clients to trade digital assets on the same platform as traditional currencies, simplifying the process.
- The move is part of Standard Chartered's long-term crypto strategy, which includes various ventures in digital asset custody and trading.
Standard Chartered has gone mainstream with crypto, launching spot trading for Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) for institutional investors. Announced today, this is via their UK subsidiary and marks a big moment for traditional finance and digital assets.
Standard Chartered is the first major global bank to offer secure and regulated access to BTC and ETH spot trading. This is to lower the barriers to entry and give institutional clients the tools to engage with crypto on familiar platforms.
Group Chief Executive Bill Winters said: “Digital assets are a fundamental part of the evolution of financial services. They’re enabling new paths for innovation, inclusion and growth across the industry.”
Seamless for Institutions
What’s different here is the deep integration into Standard Chartered’s existing FX trading platforms. So clients can trade digital assets on the same interface they use for traditional currencies – no learning curve.
The new spot trading also comes with enhanced settlement options:
- Trades can be settled through clients’ chosen custodians
- Integration with Standard Chartered’s digital asset custody platform
- Access to future products like crypto-based non-deliverable forwards (NDFs)
Crypto NDFs are cash-settled contracts where the difference between the agreed and spot price is exchanged at maturity. These derivatives give institutional investors a risk-managed way into digital asset exposure without having to hold the actual crypto.
Standard Chartered’s Crypto Strategy
This isn’t a sudden U-turn – it’s part of a long term plan. Since 2020 Standard Chartered has been active in crypto through its ventures:
- Zodia Custody – A regulated digital asset custody solution
- Zodia Markets – A digital asset trading platform for institutions
- Libeara – Tokenization services for real-world assets
The announcement comes as crypto prices hit fresh highs. Bitcoin reached an all-time high of $123,091 today, driven by institutional activity. Ethereum followed suit, reaching $3,000 as the broader market rallied.
Standard Chartered’s launch of BTC and ETH spot trading for institutions adds to the credibility of crypto in global finance – and shows traditional banks are no longer just spectators in the digital asset space, but participants.
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