Standard Chartered has launched direct cryptocurrency trading for affluent clients in the United Arab Emirates, allowing eligible investors to buy and sell bitcoin and ether through their existing bank accounts.

The service, initially available to clients classified as Professional Investors, follows the bank’s receipt of licensing approval from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA). Standard Chartered will manage custody and settlement within its own system through a closed-loop model eliminating the need for separate crypto wallets or third-party trading platforms.

The bank developed the offering through its Wealth and Retail Banking and Corporate and Investment Banking divisions, alongside Zodia Markets, a digital-asset business backed by its venture arm, SC Ventures.

 

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Standard Chartered described the launch as the first cryptocurrency trading service for affluent clients in its global operations and the first of its kind offered by an international bank in the UAE. The bank plans to expand the service to other markets but has not provided a timetable.

The move extends Standard Chartered’s digital-asset business beyond institutional trading and existing investment products which include

  • cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds,

  • structured products, and

  • over-the-counter derivatives.

 

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In September 2026, the bank launched institutional spot trading in bitcoin and ether in the UAE following its introduction of similar services in the United Kingdom in 2025.

The latest offering reflects efforts by traditional banks to bring cryptocurrency trading and custody into established wealth-management services as demand for regulated access to digital assets grows. The UAE has also sought to strengthen its position as a hub for digital-asset businesses under its virtual-asset regulatory framework.

 

 

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