.png)
Standard Chartered appears to now be diving deeper into the crypto asset space.
A latest report from Reuters revealed that the banking giant has officially launched spot trading services for Bitcoin and Ethereum through its UK branch.
With this step, the bank becomes the "first global systemically" important institution to offer direct, regulated access to deliverable spot trading of the two largest cryptocurrencies.
Bridging traditional finance with crypto markets
According to the announcement, Standard Chartered’s new service will allow institutional clients, including corporates, asset managers, and institutional investors, to trade BTC and ETH using existing FX trading infrastructure.
In other words, clients can access digital asset markets in much the same way they’ve traded foreign currencies for decades.
The initiative is part of the bank’s broader digital strategy and complements its other crypto-related ventures, such as investments in Zodia Custody and Zodia Markets, platforms focused on digital asset custody and over-the-counter (OTC) trading.
In a statement, CEO Bill Winters emphasized the bank’s long-term commitment to the digital asset space, stating:
“As client demand accelerates further, we want to offer clients a route to transact, trade and manage digital asset risk safely and efficiently within regulatory requirements.”
More derivatives incoming
While the launch currently covers deliverable spot trades, the bank also teased plans to offer non-deliverable forwards (NDFs) for crypto, essentially, derivative contracts that allow traders to speculate on price movements without direct asset ownership.
This could provide additional tools for asset managers seeking exposure or hedging strategies around Bitcoin and Ethereum.
