Standard Chartered has initiated spot trading services for Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) through its UK branch, targeting institutional clients. This move positions the bank as the first major global financial institution to offer regulated, deliverable access to cryptocurrency spot markets at scale.
According to a Reuters report on Tuesday, the service is available to corporates, asset managers, and professional investors. Clients can access BTC and ETH trading via existing foreign exchange (FX) interfaces, with plans to introduce non-deliverable forwards in the future.
Standard Chartered CEO Bill Winters stated the launch addresses increasing client demand for secure, efficient, and compliant access to digital asset trading. “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,” Winters commented.
This initiative expands on Standard Chartered’s broader digital asset strategy, which includes backing regulated platforms such as Zodia Custody and Zodia Markets, both focused on institutional crypto infrastructure. While many banks have limited their involvement to crypto custody or tokenization, Standard Chartered’s entry into regulated spot trading marks a significant step in integrating cryptocurrencies into mainstream institutional finance.
