Standard Chartered Expands Bitcoin and Ether Spot Trading in UAE

Highlights:

• Standard Chartered expanded Bitcoin and Ether spot trading for institutional clients in the UAE through its DIFC.
• The service connects crypto trading with Standard Chartered’s existing UAE digital asset custody offering for institutions.
• Standard Chartered says it is the first G-SIB to offer institutional crypto spot trading in the UAE.

Standard Chartered has expanded its Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) spot trading service for institutional clients in the United Arab Emirates. The move gives eligible investors another regulated way to trade the two largest cryptocurrencies through a major global bank.

According to a September 3 report, the service is available through Standard Chartered DIFC. It also connects with the bank’s existing digital asset custody business in the UAE. The bank said clients can now trade Bitcoin and Ether through its electronic trading channels. They can use familiar trading systems instead of moving to a separate crypto platform.

Standard Chartered also said it is the first Global Systemically Important Bank, or G-SIB, to offer this type of institutional crypto spot trading service in the UAE.

Standard Chartered Brings Bitcoin And Ether Trading to UAE Institutions

Standard Chartered has launched spot trading for Bitcoin bitcoin:native and Ether ethereum:native for eligible UAE institutional clients.

The service enables immediate delivery through the bank’s electronic… pic.twitter.com/3Y5I0VOqXe

— BSCN (@BSCNews) September 3, 2026

Standard Chartered Links Crypto Trading With Custody

The new service covers deliverable spot trading in Bitcoin and Ether. In spot trading, investors buy or sell an asset at the current market price and settle the actual transaction. After a trade, clients can decide where they want to keep their digital assets. They can use their own custodian or choose Standard Chartered’s custody service.

The bank launched its digital asset custody service in the UAE in September 2024. By adding spot trading, Standard Chartered is now bringing trading and custody closer together for institutional clients. Rola Abu Manneh, CEO of Standard Chartered UAE, Middle East and Pakistan, said the UAE has created a strong environment for digital asset growth.

She said Standard Chartered is combining “execution with secure custody, governance and the connectivity of a global bank.” The approach gives institutions access to crypto markets while still using services linked to a traditional banking system.

UAE Expansion Builds on Standard Chartered’s Crypto Business

Standard Chartered has been expanding its digital asset services over the past few years. In July 2025, the bank launched institutional Bitcoin and Ether spot trading through its UK branch. The service was aimed at institutional investors, including asset managers and corporate clients. The UAE launch now extends that model into another major financial market.

Standard Chartered already has a growing digital asset business in the region. Its services include crypto custody, trading and tokenisation. The bank has also worked on other blockchain-related services. In July 2026, Standard Chartered and Circle launched integrated access to USDC minting and redemption for eligible institutional clients through the DIFC. That service allows institutions to move between traditional banking funds and USDC, a dollar-backed stablecoin.

The latest Bitcoin and Ether trading expansion gives Standard Chartered a broader crypto offering in the UAE. Institutional clients can now access trading and custody services through the same global banking group.

At the time of writing, Bitcoin was trading at around $77,960, up 1.29% over the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, Ethereum was trading near $2,406, with a 0.51% gain in the same period.