Key Takeaways
- • Standard Chartered has launched direct cryptocurrency trading for affluent clients in the UAE, letting eligible professional investors buy and sell bitcoin and ether through their existing bank accounts.
- • The service follows the bank's licensing approval from Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) and uses a closed-loop model in which the bank handles custody and settlement, eliminating the need for separate crypto wallets or third-party platforms.
- • The bank describes the offering as a global first for Standard Chartered's affluent-client business and the first of its kind by an international bank in the UAE; no timetable has been given for expansion to other markets.
- • The launch extends Standard Chartered's digital-asset business beyond institutional trading, cryptocurrency ETFs, structured products and OTC derivatives, and comes after its September 2026 institutional spot trading launch in the UAE.
Summary
Standard Chartered has launched direct cryptocurrency trading for affluent clients in the United Arab Emirates, according to BitKE, allowing eligible investors to buy and sell bitcoin and ether through their existing bank accounts. The service is initially available to clients classified as Professional Investors. The London-based lender described it as the first offering of its kind by an international bank in the UAE and the first cryptocurrency trading service for affluent clients in its global operations.
The offering follows the bank's receipt of licensing approval from Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA). Standard Chartered will manage custody and settlement within its own system through a closed-loop model, removing the need for separate crypto wallets or third-party trading platforms. The bank developed the offering through its Wealth and Retail Banking and Corporate and Investment Banking divisions, together with Zodia Markets, a digital-asset business backed by its venture arm, SC Ventures.
The launch extends the bank's digital-asset business beyond institutional trading and existing investment products, which include cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds, structured products and over-the-counter derivatives. In September 2026, the bank launched institutional spot trading in bitcoin and ether in the UAE, following similar services introduced in the United Kingdom in 2025. Standard Chartered plans to expand the affluent-client service to other markets but has not provided a timetable.
The move reflects a broader push by traditional banks to bring cryptocurrency trading and custody into established wealth-management services as demand for regulated access to digital assets grows. The UAE has also sought to strengthen its position as a hub for digital-asset businesses under its virtual-asset regulatory framework.
The offering follows the bank's receipt of licensing approval from Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA). Standard Chartered will manage custody and settlement within its own system through a closed-loop model, removing the need for separate crypto wallets or third-party trading platforms. The bank developed the offering through its Wealth and Retail Banking and Corporate and Investment Banking divisions, together with Zodia Markets, a digital-asset business backed by its venture arm, SC Ventures.
The launch extends the bank's digital-asset business beyond institutional trading and existing investment products, which include cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds, structured products and over-the-counter derivatives. In September 2026, the bank launched institutional spot trading in bitcoin and ether in the UAE, following similar services introduced in the United Kingdom in 2025. Standard Chartered plans to expand the affluent-client service to other markets but has not provided a timetable.
The move reflects a broader push by traditional banks to bring cryptocurrency trading and custody into established wealth-management services as demand for regulated access to digital assets grows. The UAE has also sought to strengthen its position as a hub for digital-asset businesses under its virtual-asset regulatory framework.
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