Standard Chartered has launched a spot cryptocurrency trading service for eligible clients in the United Arab Emirates, enabling Professional Investor clients to buy and sell Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) directly through their existing bank accounts. Announced on 14 October 2026, the service has received licensing approval from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA).
The bank describes the closed-loop offering as a global first for Standard Chartered and the first of its kind by an international bank in the UAE. Clients do not need separate wallets or third-party exchange accounts; trades, custody and settlement are handled inside the bank’s own ecosystem. The structure is intended to reduce exposure to risks associated with third-party wallets while providing institutional-grade custody, liquidity and client access.
Samir Subberwal, Global Head of Wealth Solutions, Retail Products, Data & Analytics, said the move brings digital assets into the bank’s core wealth offering amid growing client demand. Rola Abu Manneh, CEO for the UAE, Middle East and Pakistan, said the UAE was a natural choice because of its regulatory environment and growing leadership in digital assets.
The bank has not disclosed trading fees, minimum investment amounts, transaction limits or whether clients can transfer purchased assets outside its ecosystem. It plans to expand the offering to other markets over time but has not named destinations or a timetable.
The wealth product differs from Standard Chartered’s institutional crypto business. The bank launched institutional spot BTC and ETH trading through its Dubai International Financial Centre branch in September 2026, after providing a similar institutional service in the UK from July 2025. It also launched custody for Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin through its DIFC branch in October 2026, with RLUSD reported at a $2.447 billion market capitalization, and proposed crypto custody and tokenized real-world asset services in Singapore. Zodia Markets, backed by Standard Chartered’s SC Ventures arm, participated in developing the new wealth service.
