Key Takeaways
- • Standard Chartered has made the UAE its first market where individual clients can buy and sell bitcoin and ether directly through its mobile app, according to AGBI, with the bank claiming it is the first international lender in the UAE to offer direct digital-asset trading through its own app.
- • The service is limited initially to existing clients who qualify as professional investors and meet eligibility and suitability requirements, and trading is execution-only, with no per-transaction advice.
- • The launch follows a full broker-dealer licence granted to the bank's onshore UAE entity by Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (Vara), bringing the total number of fully licensed Vara providers to 58.
- • The bank operates in 55 markets and generated $21 billion in operating income in 2025, with Hong Kong and Singapore accounting for 41 percent of that total.
- • Launch comes as bitcoin trades roughly a third below its October 2025 record of about $126,200, at around $83,600 per the report.
Summary
Standard Chartered has launched in-app bitcoin and ether trading for individual clients in the UAE, which the bank describes as the first such offering among international lenders in the country. Customers can trade using existing bank accounts without opening separate crypto wallets or transferring funds to other platforms, according to AGBI. The bank announced the launch on Wednesday after its onshore UAE entity received a full broker-dealer licence from Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (Vara).
Access is initially restricted to existing clients who qualify as professional investors and meet eligibility and suitability requirements. Ayesha Abbas, managing director and head of affluent and wealth solutions for EMEA and the UAE, described qualifying investors as having investment "knowledge and experience" and a qualifying level of liquid net worth, though she did not specify a financial threshold. Trading is execution-only. Abbas said wider retail access would depend on regulation, client demand and market maturity, alongside suitability checks, risk disclosures and operational safeguards.
The launch sits within a broader UAE framework. Vara was established in March 2022, and in July the regulator said it expected 70 fully licensed virtual assets companies to become operational in the coming months. Standard Chartered's approval brings the total to 58 fully licensed providers on the regulator's public register, which includes Binance, OKX and Crypto.com. Dubai Government Media Office data cited in the report show year-to-date transaction volumes at regulated companies reached almost AED2.5 trillion ($680 billion) by October 2025.
The timing coincides with a sharp pullback in bitcoin from its October 2025 record of about $126,200; the cryptocurrency stood at roughly $83,600 on the Tuesday before the announcement. Abbas said the bank regularly reviews its products, noting that "consumer sentiment does shift from time to time and remains dynamic."
Standard Chartered, which is London-headquartered and operates in 55 markets, reported $21 billion in operating income in 2025. The bank announced in June that it was exploring a sale of its Bahrain wealth and retail operations while retaining corporate and investment banking there. It has expanded regionally, opening operations in Saudi Arabia in 2021 and Egypt in 2024. Abbas, who led the bank's engagement with Vara, also said AI is changing client support, though she stressed that relationship managers and investment specialists remain central to the business.
Access is initially restricted to existing clients who qualify as professional investors and meet eligibility and suitability requirements. Ayesha Abbas, managing director and head of affluent and wealth solutions for EMEA and the UAE, described qualifying investors as having investment "knowledge and experience" and a qualifying level of liquid net worth, though she did not specify a financial threshold. Trading is execution-only. Abbas said wider retail access would depend on regulation, client demand and market maturity, alongside suitability checks, risk disclosures and operational safeguards.
The launch sits within a broader UAE framework. Vara was established in March 2022, and in July the regulator said it expected 70 fully licensed virtual assets companies to become operational in the coming months. Standard Chartered's approval brings the total to 58 fully licensed providers on the regulator's public register, which includes Binance, OKX and Crypto.com. Dubai Government Media Office data cited in the report show year-to-date transaction volumes at regulated companies reached almost AED2.5 trillion ($680 billion) by October 2025.
The timing coincides with a sharp pullback in bitcoin from its October 2025 record of about $126,200; the cryptocurrency stood at roughly $83,600 on the Tuesday before the announcement. Abbas said the bank regularly reviews its products, noting that "consumer sentiment does shift from time to time and remains dynamic."
Standard Chartered, which is London-headquartered and operates in 55 markets, reported $21 billion in operating income in 2025. The bank announced in June that it was exploring a sale of its Bahrain wealth and retail operations while retaining corporate and investment banking there. It has expanded regionally, opening operations in Saudi Arabia in 2021 and Egypt in 2024. Abbas, who led the bank's engagement with Vara, also said AI is changing client support, though she stressed that relationship managers and investment specialists remain central to the business.
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