Standard Chartered has launched Bitcoin and Ether trading for eligible Professional Investor clients in the UAE, extending its wealth service into direct cryptocurrency holdings. The 14 October announcement connects the bank’s wealth and corporate businesses with SC Ventures-backed Zodia Markets and keeps trading, custody and settlement within a bank-managed service.[1]
Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority lists Standard Chartered Bank as an active broker-dealer licensee, with licence VL/26/08/003 dated 24 August 2026. That earlier permission and the October customer launch are separate milestones.[4]
The bank’s Professional Investor label sits alongside a separate regulatory eligibility test. Its agreement restricts access to Qualified or Institutional Investors under VARA’s rules and requires the bank’s own investor-profile and onboarding checks.[3]
Quotes, funding and the exit route
Published UAE service terms
| Item | Current provision |
|---|---|
| Access | SC Mobile, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. |
| Orders | Market orders through a request for quote. Each quote lasts six seconds; expiry requires a fresh quote. |
| Minimum trade | USD50, or the AED equivalent, for a purchase or sale. |
| Funding | An eligible AED or USD bank account, funded before the order. |
| Transfers and withdrawals | No incoming or outgoing crypto transfers. Sale proceeds return as fiat to the eligible bank account. |
The product page advertises no transaction or custody fees. The agreement nevertheless permits spreads, markups, markdowns or other compensation within the quoted price. A customer comparing execution costs therefore needs to compare the price available for the intended purchase or sale, alongside any separately charged fee.[2][3]
The agreement describes the bank as a riskless principal: it deals with the customer and executes the corresponding transaction in the market. A Bank Group Company safeguards the cryptocurrency. The customer’s assets remain their property under the contractual arrangement and are distinct from a bank deposit.[3]
Execution is also separate from advice. The agreement makes the service execution-only, so access through an existing wealth relationship does not itself mean the bank has recommended the cryptocurrency transaction.[3]
Sources & further reading
- Standard Chartered unveils first-of-its-kind cryptocurrency trading solution for affluent clients Standard Chartered · 14 Oct 2026 · Accessed 20 Oct 2026
- Cryptocurrency investment services in the UAE Standard Chartered · Accessed 20 Oct 2026
- Cryptocurrency Service Client Agreement Standard Chartered · Accessed 20 Oct 2026
- Public register — Standard Chartered Bank Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority · Accessed 20 Oct 2026