Standard Chartered has signed definitive agreements to acquire 100% of Zodia Custody Limited through its subsidiary Standard Chartered I H Limited, folding the regulated digital asset custodian’s operations into the bank’s Securities Services division. The agreement, announced on October 21, 2026, covers Zodia’s regulated custody entities in Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, and Luxembourg.
The deal remains subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions, and financial terms have not been disclosed. Once completed, Standard Chartered will integrate Zodia’s custody operations with its existing digital asset custody services, creating a more unified institutional offering across traditional securities and crypto assets. Ying Ying Tan, global head of Securities Services and Digital Assets, said the acquisition “further deepens our digital asset custody portfolio.”
Under the structure, Zodia’s software and professional services business will move into a new independent entity, Zodia Solutions, operating under SC Ventures. Craig Perrin will serve as CEO of Zodia Solutions, while Richard Clark leads Zodia Custody after former CEO Julian Sawyer’s departure in September. Investors supporting Zodia Solutions include Northern Trust, NAB Ventures, SBI Ventures, Emirates NBD, Further Ventures, Investcorp-linked Zodia Investments, and SC Ventures-owned Zodia Holdings.
The transaction follows a nonbinding offer accepted in May, with initial expectations for definitive agreements by the end of June and completion by August. Negotiations took longer than planned, and Standard Chartered has not explained the delay or specified outstanding regulatory approvals. The bank originally helped establish Zodia Custody with Northern Trust in 2020.
Zodia Custody secured a Luxembourg payment institution license in June, enabling regulated stablecoin custody and transfer services across the EU under MiCA. Standard Chartered has also announced plans to launch institutional crypto custody in Singapore by the end of 2026 and recently introduced Bitcoin and Ether trading for eligible professional investor clients in the UAE.
