Standard Chartered launches bitcoin and ether trading in UAE

Standard Chartered has introduced bitcoin and ether trading for affluent clients in the UAE, letting eligible professional investors buy and sell the two cryptocurrencies through their existing bank accounts. The bank said it is the first international bank to offer the service in the UAE and the first time it has offered crypto trading directly to wealthy clients in any market.

• Custody and settlement are handled in-house via a closed-loop model, so clients need no separate crypto wallets or third-party platforms; the service runs through Zodia Markets, backed by the bank's SC Ventures unit.
• The rollout is backed by licensing approval from Dubai's VARA and follows the bank's institutional spot BTC/ETH offering in the UK (July 2025) and expansion to the UAE on Sept. 3.
• Standard Chartered says it plans to extend the trading service to other markets; no timetable was given.