The global banking giant Standard Chartered has launched a new spot trading desk for Bitcoin and Ethereum. The bank confirmed on Tuesday that its UK-based desk is now live, making it the first major global bank to offer direct crypto trading to its institutional clients.
The new service enables clients like asset managers, corporations, and institutional investors to access the Bitcoin and Ether markets using their traditional foreign exchange (FX) trading platforms. Standard Chartered stated that non-deliverable forwards will also be introduced soon, which will expand the suite of crypto trading options available.
The bank’s announcement said the rollout is a direct response to increased demand from its clients for secure, regulated access to digital assets.
Bill Winters, the Group CEO of Standard Chartered, noted that digital assets have become a key component of the financial market infrastructure. He highlighted the bank’s need to support its clients in navigating the crypto space through fully compliant channels.
This new service offers direct market access to Bitcoin and Ether, a significant step beyond the crypto custody or structured products that other traditional banks have so far limited themselves to.
The launch of the spot trading desk follows a series of other crypto-related initiatives by the bank across the globe. In April 2025, Standard Chartered collaborated with the crypto exchange OKX and the asset manager Franklin Templeton to establish a digital collateral program in Asia. That partnership aimed to create new connections between traditional financial instruments and the digital asset ecosystem.
In February, the bank’s Hong Kong unit announced a new stablecoin project in partnership with Animoca Brands and HKT. The group has applied for a license under Hong Kong’s new regulatory regime to issue a stablecoin backed by the Hong Kong dollar.
This entry into direct spot trading is a major departure from the conservative stance historically taken by large financial institutions. While several other global banks are reportedly assessing their own digital asset strategies, few have moved beyond the preliminary planning stages.
Standard Chartered’s new desk positions it far ahead of its peers in integrating real-time crypto trading within regulated financial systems.
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