key insights
- Banking integration—Bitcoin and Ether can be accessed without having to create separate exchange accounts.
- Limited eligibility—The first time, the offering is limited to “Professional Investor” clients and not all UAE customers.
- The launch will complement the existing institutional offering and help the bank reach its international expansion goals.
In the UAE, Standard Chartered has introduced direct trading of Bitcoin and Ether for high-net-worth individuals after obtaining permission from the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) of the Dubai International Financial Center. The service will enable the trading via existing bank accounts of the clients designated as professional investor, and make regulated trading with cryptocurrencies available in traditional banking.
They will do the custody and settlement of the bank internally, which doesn’t require other wallets or exchange accounts. The launch is the first direct cryptocurrency trading offering for high net-worth individuals around the world.
UAE clients gain direct access through bank accounts
The service initially supports Bitcoin and Ether, two assets already central to the bank’s institutional cryptocurrency business. Eligible customers can trade through established banking relationships instead of transferring funds to external platforms.
The bank developed the product through cooperation between its Wealth and Retail Banking and Corporate and Investment Banking divisions. Zodia Markets, a digital-asset business backed by SC Ventures, also contributed to the service.
Under the closed-loop model the bank is in charge of handling transactions keeping custody of the assets and managing the settlement process. This setup is meant to lower the risks that come with using third-party wallets and to keep all the transactions inside the banks system.
However, the announcement did not say anything about minimum investment requirements or about the trading fees or the limits on transactions. It also did not give any schedule for adding cryptocurrencies or for making the service available to customers, in other places.
The launch gives eligible investors another route into cryptocurrency markets without requiring separate exchange accounts. Nevertheless, access remains limited to qualifying clients rather than the general retail banking customer base.
The VARA approval makes the UAE expansion stronger
The Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority in Dubai approved the offering as stated by the bank. The service will first focus on professional investor clients in the UAE with plans to grow into markets.
Rola Abu Manneh, who is the executive for the UAE, Middle East and Pakistan spoke about the country’s rules and the growth of digital assets. She also called the UAE one of the bank’s four wealth centers.
Samir Subberwal, the bank’s head of wealth solutions, retail products, data and analytics said clients want safety along with access to digital assets. He called the launch a move toward making cryptocurrencies part of regular wealth management.
Earlier qualified clients could get into cryptocurrency through the bank’s cash equities platform. They could also get a taste of the market using products and over-the-counter derivatives.
Trading Bitcoin and Ether directly is now another choice in the existing investment options. However the bank has not said anything, about changing its cryptocurrency products.
Institutional trading services set the foundation
The wealth launch follows the bank’s expansion into institutional cryptocurrency services. In July 2025, it introduced spot Bitcoin and Ether trading through its UK branch for institutional customers.
Those customers included corporations, asset managers and professional investors. The service allows people to buy and sell money using well-known systems that handle currency exchanges.
In September 2026 Standard Chartered started offering trading of digital money through its branch, in the Dubai International Financial Centre. Eligible clients could execute deliverable trades through existing electronic trading channels and foreign-exchange interfaces.
Institutional customers could select their preferred custodian, including the bank’s digital-asset custody service. The new wealth offering differs because the bank manages custody and settlement within its closed-loop operating model.
The bank entered the UAE custody market in September 2024 after getting permission, from the Dubai Financial Services Authority. Brevan Howard Digital was the customer of the platform and Bitcoin and Ether were supported from the start.
These earlier services established a foundation for broader digital-asset operations. The latest launch extends that business into affluent wealth management while retaining restrictions on client eligibility.
Wider digital-asset strategy expands beyond trading
Standard Chartered continues to develop custody, trading and tokenisation services across several markets. On October 12, the bank announced RLUSD custody services through its DIFC branch for eligible institutional clients.
The service supports Ripple’s dollar-backed stablecoin on the XRP Ledger. The bank is also working with Ripple and LMAX Group on a proposed arrangement involving RLUSD trading collateral.
According to that plan institutions could use RLUSD as collateral while the tokens remain in custody. However the arrangement still requires testing, legal documentation, internal approvals and applicable regulatory clearances.
Separately, the bank announced plans on October 8 for a Singapore custody service. The proposed offering would cover selected cryptocurrencies, stablecoins and tokenised real-world assets.
The bank has not confirmed a launch date or identified the assets eligible for the Singapore service. Meanwhile, its existing digital-asset custody operations span the UAE, Luxembourg and Hong Kong.
In May 2026 the bank decided to buy Zodia Custodys custody business. The deal still needs approval, from regulators and some usual closing steps. The plan is to bring the custody work into its Financing and Securities Services group and also create Zodia Solutions as an infrastructure company.
Conclusion
The UAE launch extends Standard Chartered’s cryptocurrency business from institutional services into affluent wealth management. Its closed-loop model gives eligible investors direct access to Bitcoin and Ether through existing bank accounts.
The service also strengthens the bank’s broader digital-asset strategy across trading and custody.The next hurdle for it will be to increase market access while simultaneously being compliant with regulations and implementing institutional safeguards
