Standard Chartered Unveils Institutional Bitcoin and Ether Trading in UAE

Standard Chartered has launched institutional Bitcoin and Ether spot trading in the UAE through Standard Chartered DIFC. The bank claims this is the first Global Systemically Important Bank (G-SIB) to offer institutional spot execution in the region.

The new capability adds execution to the bank's existing digital asset custody solution, which was launched in September 2024. It integrates with the bank's electronic trading and custody platforms, regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority, allowing eligible institutional clients to trade crypto-assets through the same interfaces they use for foreign exchange.

Standard Chartered DIFC is a regulated gateway, and the launch supports the UAE's ambitions as a centre for financial innovation. Rola Abu Manneh, the bank's chief executive for the UAE, Middle East and Pakistan, said the UAE's digital assets framework supports institutional participation, while Standard Chartered DIFC senior executive Christopher Parsons highlighted the centre's role in deploying global capabilities.

The bank has framed this move as combining execution with custody, governance, and the connectivity of a global bank. The UAE launch extends a capability that Standard Chartered first introduced through its UK branch in July 2025, when it became the first G-SIB to offer deliverable spot crypto-asset trading to institutions.