Standard Chartered opens Bitcoin and Ether spot trading service for institutional clients

On July 15, Standard Chartered began offering institutional spot trading for Bitcoin (BTC/USD) and Ether (ETH/USD) through its UK branch. Access to scalable and regulated crypto spot trading will be extended to asset managers and corporates, among other institutions.

Bill Winters, StanChart’s CEO, said the bank sought ways for institutional clients to trade, transact, and manage crypto risks safely within a regulated environment. The new service is part of the bank’s expansion of crypto-related offerings as more financial institutions respond to growing demand from institutional clients.

StanChart also disclosed that it would soon offer trading for non-deliverable forwards (NDFs).

The bank has steadily built a strong presence in crypto, investing in the Zodia Markets trading platform and the Zodia Custody platform for crypto custody. It has also invested in the digital assets tokenization platform Libeara.

However, the launch of crypto spot trading remains the bank’s most direct entry into the crypto space. StanChart will now allow investors to buy Bitcoin and Ether directly, not just futures contracts or derivatives.

Kendrick says service meets demand

💼 Over 135 public companies now HOLD Bitcoin!

➡️ ~848,000 BTC on balance sheets
➡️ BlackRock’s IBIT ETF holds ~700,000 BTC
Institutional adoption is accelerating 🚀
Who’s next? 👀

Trade safely with https://t.co/VyXHYphRvI#Bitcoin #Institutions #CryptoAdoption pic.twitter.com/iVd4t8omgI

— Biconomy.com (@BiconomyCom) July 15, 2025

The Head of FX and Digital Assets Research at StanChart, Geoffrey Kendrick, said the new service met increasing institutional client demand for secure and reliable access to crypto assets. A recent KPMG and AIMA (Alternative Investment Management Association) report emphasizing the realness of this demand found that nearly 91% of hedge funds were either already invested in crypto or planned to invest in it in the next five years. 

Biconomy also revealed that over 135 public firms included Bitcoin on their balance sheets. The institutions jointly controlled over 848K BTC, with BlackRock’s IBIT ETF holding 700K BTC. Blockware estimated that 36 more public companies plan to join the trend by the end of this year, an increase of about 25%.

Rene Michau, StanChart’s Global Head of Digital Assets, said the bank’s new offering is available during trading hours in Europe and Asia. Michau also claimed bragging rights that the bank is the first traditional financial institution to offer crypto trading.

“We define institutional clients as financial institutions such as asset managers and investors, and large multinational companies who are clients of our corporate and investment banking division.”

–Rene Michau, Global Head of Digital Assets at Standard Chartered 

StanChart also disclosed that the new service integrates its existing trading platforms, allowing institutional clients to settle trades through the bank’s in-house FCA-approved custodial services. Customers also have the option to choose their preferred custodian(s). The focus will remain on BTC and ETH spot trading before expanding to other crypto assets.

Crypto becomes foundational in financial services 

The Standard Chartered group’s CEO claims crypto is a “foundational element” of financial service evolution. He added that digital assets enable greater inclusion, growth, and new innovative pathways across the industry.  

StanChart previously announced that it had secured licensing to offer regulated crypto custodial services in the UAE (last September) and Luxembourg (last January). A representative of the multinational bank said the institution is currently focused on investment banking clients and corporates, with no solid plans to extend beyond this scope. 

The bank’s Global Head of Trading and XVA, Tony Hall, also claimed that the financial institution is well-positioned to meet its clients’ needs while capturing the industry’s opportunities. StanChart’s new service is built on its regulated banking infrastructure, integrating a strong balance sheet and institutional-grade controls for risk management. 

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