Standard Chartered, one of the world’s largest systemic banks, has officially launched a spot trading service in Bitcoin and Ethereum, exclusively for institutional investors. No derivatives, no CFDs, no detours: just pure, regulated spot trading backed by a strong banking balance sheet.
A global first for a systemic bank of this size
Standard Chartered becomes the first “Global Systemically Important Bank” to offer direct, regulated, and secure access to spot crypto trading. Through its British branch, it seamlessly integrates with its usual FX platforms and complies with FCA’s compliance standards.
Everything changes because until now, no banking player of this stature had dared to open the door to such volatile assets in a spot framework without using derivative structures. This could create a major precedent in the global banking ecosystem.
The beginning of a shift?
The offering targets major investors, funds, corporate treasuries, and asset managers, allowing them to use their usual depositaries, including Zodia Custody, a subsidiary of Standard Chartered, to settle transactions securely.
The message is clear: the British bank aims to be the trusted partner for institutions looking to expose part of their balance sheet to Bitcoin or Ether without compromising on security or regulation.
Digital assets are a pillar of the evolution of financial services.
Bill Winters, CEO of Standard Chartered Group.
This statement is not just talk. Standard Chartered is expanding its presence in the ecosystem: Zodia Custody, Zodia Markets for OTC trading, the Libeara platform for tokenization… every piece of the puzzle is already in place.
The domino effect begins
Pressure is mounting on other banks. JPMorgan has already launched its own token on the Base blockchain. Charles Schwab plans to enter the spot market within a year. Even BlackRock is aggressively promoting crypto ETFs.
While ETFs attract billions, internal forecasts at Standard Chartered go even further: their analyst Geoffrey Kendrick anticipates a Bitcoin at $135,000 by the end of the third quarter, and $200,000 by December, driven by institutional interest and increasing flows from corporate treasuries.
Towards a new banking order?
If institutions were still waiting for a green light to enter the spot market massively, it may have just been lit. And it’s not blinking. It’s shining.
With this announcement, crypto trading becomes a fully regulated banking product. A historic turning point that only a handful of banks could initiate, and that Standard Chartered has fully embraced.
