Standard Chartered says it is the first global systemically important bank to launch institutional spot crypto trading in the United Arab Emirates. The service is being offered through Standard Chartered DIFC, the bank’s Dubai International Financial Centre entity regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority, with clients accessing deliverable Bitcoin and Ether trading through the bank’s electronic channels. Settlement is integrated into Standard Chartered’s institutional banking framework.
This is not a standalone crypto push in a new market. The bank already opened its UAE custody business in September 2024, and this launch extends that local infrastructure into execution.