Standard Chartered has expanded its institutional Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) spot trading services to the United Arab Emirates through its Standard Chartered DIFC operations.
The move makes Standard Chartered the first Global Systemically Important Bank (G-SIB) to offer institutional spot trading of deliverable digital assets in the market. It also makes the bank the only global bank currently offering institutional digital asset spot trading in the region, according to the announcement.
The new service expands Standard Chartered’s regulated digital asset offering in the UAE by adding trading execution to its existing digital asset custody services.
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Eligible institutional clients can access deliverable Bitcoin and Ether spot trading through the bank’s electronic trading channels. The service is integrated with Standard Chartered’s existing platforms, allowing clients to trade digital assets through interfaces similar to those used for foreign exchange transactions.
Clients can settle their trades through a custodian of their choice, including Standard Chartered’s own digital asset custody solution, which was launched in September 2024.
Rola Abu Manneh, Chief Executive Officer for the UAE, Middle East and Pakistan at Standard Chartered, said the UAE’s digital asset regulatory framework has created an environment supportive of institutional participation and innovation. She described the expansion of Bitcoin and Ether spot trading as an important step in broadening the bank’s regulated digital asset services in the country.
Christopher Parsons, Senior Executive Officer at Standard Chartered DIFC, said the expansion demonstrates how the Dubai International Financial Centre provides a platform for international financial institutions to deploy their capabilities across different markets.
Standard Chartered first launched institutional Bitcoin and Ether spot trading through its UK branch in July 2025, becoming the first G-SIB to offer deliverable spot crypto-asset trading to institutional clients.
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The UAE expansion builds on that existing capability as the bank continues developing its institutional digital asset business in the market.
Standard Chartered’s wider digital asset strategy includes custody, trading and tokenisation services through its Corporate and Investment Bank, while its ventures ecosystem extends these capabilities through Zodia Markets and Libeara.
Together, these services are intended to provide institutional clients with regulated infrastructure and solutions as their participation in digital asset markets continues to develop.
