Standard Chartered has announced the launch of Bitcoin and Ethereum spot trading services for institutional clients through its UK branch, becoming the first globally systemically important bank to provide secure, regulated channels for deliverable cryptocurrency transactions. This initiative addresses growing institutional demand for crypto assets.

Through the UK entity, corporations, investors, and asset managers can now trade digital assets via foreign exchange interfaces. The group also plans to introduce non-deliverable forwards (NDFs) in the near term. CEO Bill Winters emphasized the bank's commitment to enabling clients to safely transact, trade, and manage digital asset risks within regulatory frameworks as market interest expands.

The move establishes Standard Chartered as a pioneer among major global banks in offering direct access to cryptocurrency spot markets, signaling institutional adoption of digital assets within traditional finance infrastructure.