Standard Chartered plans institutional digital asset custody in Singapore
Standard Chartered plans Singapore digital asset custody for institutions and accredited corporate clients, covering select cryptoassets, stablecoins and tokenized RWAs, with no launch date disclosed.
Why it matters
Standard Chartered already runs digital asset infrastructure in the UAE, Luxembourg and Hong Kong and backs Zodia Custody, so a Singapore service would extend an existing business rather than open a new one. Bitcoin Insider notes that the bank's own corporate statement or regulatory filings would be needed to confirm whether custody is already live in those three hubs. Short term the announcement carries limited market significance, since no launch date, asset list or regulatory approval has been disclosed.
Where the sources disagree
Status of Standard Chartered's digital asset custody in the UAE, Luxembourg and Hong Kong
Services set to be offered from the UAE, Luxembourg and Hong Kong by mid-2026, per CryptoBriefing
Bitcoin Insider
Digital asset custody already operating in the UAE, Luxembourg and Hong Kong, per Fintech News Singapore
Bitcoin Insider
Bank already operates digital asset custody in the UAE, Luxembourg and Hong Kong
CoinGape, Cointelegraph, Crypto.News, CoinDesk, Bitcoin Magazine
Bitcoin Insider reported a direct split, with CryptoBriefing saying services in those hubs are set to be offered by mid-2026 and Fintech News Singapore saying they are already operating, while the rest of the outlets in the set report the bank's operations there as live.
Timing of the Singapore custody launch
No go-live date disclosed, subject to regulatory requirements
CoinGape, Cointelegraph, Crypto.News, CoinDesk
Singapore launch targeted before the end of 2026
Bitcoin Magazine, Bitcoin Insider, Bitcoin.com News
CoinGape, Cointelegraph, Crypto.News and CoinDesk all report that no launch date was given, while Bitcoin.com News reported the bank targets a Singapore launch before the end of 2026.
Standard Chartered's relationship to Zodia Custody
Acquiring Zodia Custody's custody business and spinning out Zodia Solutions, announced in May
Cointelegraph
Backed or has ties to Zodia Custody
Bitcoin Insider, Crypto.News
Singapore stack built on the MiCA-regulated Zodia stack in Europe
CoinGape
Cointelegraph reported an agreed acquisition of Zodia Custody's custody business with Zodia Solutions spun out, whereas Bitcoin Insider and Crypto.News described the bank as having backed or being tied to Zodia Custody.
Ole Matthiessen's title at Standard Chartered
Global head of transaction services and digital assets
CoinDesk
Global head of transaction banking and digital assets
CoinGape
CoinDesk calls him global head of transaction services and digital assets, while CoinGape calls him global head of transaction banking and digital assets.
Key facts
Standard Chartered said on October 8 it plans to offer digital asset custody in Singapore to institutional clients and corporate clients qualifying as accredited investors.
Reported by Bitcoin Insider
The Singapore service covers selected cryptoassets, stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets.
Reported by CoinGape
The Singapore service would operate inside Standard Chartered's Financing and Securities Services business rather than as a retail product.
Reported by CoinGape
The service remains subject to applicable regulatory requirements and no go-live date was disclosed.
Reported by CoinGape
The bank has not identified which digital assets the Singapore service will support, and Cointelegraph said it asked Standard Chartered which cryptocurrencies are covered and received no immediate response.
Reported by Cointelegraph
In May the bank said it would acquire Zodia Custody's custody business and spin out Zodia Solutions after shareholders accepted its offer, while other outlets describe the bank as having backed or being tied to Zodia Custody.
Disputed figureReported by Bitcoin Insider
In the UAE the bank launched spot bitcoin and ether trading in September and its June banking agreement with CoinMENA supports fiat on- and off-ramps and client money accounts.
Reported by Cointelegraph
Standard Chartered set up a trading desk for bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in London in 2025.
Reported by Bitcoin Magazine
What happened
Standard Chartered Bank (Singapore) said on October 8 that it plans to offer digital asset custody in Singapore to institutional clients and corporate clients qualifying as accredited investors, covering selected cryptoassets, stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets. The service would sit inside the bank's Financing and Securities Services division alongside its traditional and tokenized asset business, and remains subject to applicable regulatory requirements. CoinDesk, Cointelegraph, Crypto.News, CoinGape and Bitcoin Magazine all report the bank did not name which assets it will hold or when the service begins, while Bitcoin.com News reported separately that the bank targets a Singapore launch before the end of 2026. Most of those outlets describe the UAE, Luxembourg and Hong Kong as places where the bank already runs digital asset custody, though Bitcoin Insider reported a direct disagreement between CryptoBriefing, which says services in those hubs are set to be offered by mid-2026, and Fintech News Singapore, which says they are already operating. In the UAE the bank launched spot bitcoin and ether trading in September and signed a banking agreement with CoinMENA in June covering fiat on- and off-ramps and client money accounts, according to Cointelegraph. In May the bank said it would acquire Zodia Custody's custody business and spin out Zodia Solutions after shareholders accepted its offer.
How the story developed
- First report
First report by Bitcoin Insider
StanChart Custody: Are UAE, Luxembourg, HK Live or Not?
- Update
First written report flags a split over the UAE, Luxembourg and Hong Kong status
Bitcoin Insider set out the disagreement between CryptoBriefing and Fintech News Singapore on whether custody in those hubs is live or still planned.
- Independent corroboration
Independently corroborated by CoinGape
StanChart Plans Singapore Custody for Crypto, Stablecoins and Tokenized Assets, Pending the Regulator
- Official statement
Standard Chartered's press release sets out the Singapore plan
The announcement covers selected cryptoassets, stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets for institutional and accredited corporate clients, subject to regulatory requirements.
- Official statement
Bank announces plan to acquire Zodia Custody's custody business
Standard Chartered said it would consolidate custody operations by buying Zodia Custody's custody business and spinning out Zodia Solutions, after shareholders accepted its offer.
- Update
CoinMENA banking agreement signed and UAE spot trading launched
The CoinMENA agreement covers fiat on- and off-ramps and client money accounts, and the bank launched spot bitcoin and ether trading in the UAE the following month.
- Update
Later coverage confirms no launch date and no asset list
CoinDesk and the other outlets carried the bank's statement that it did not identify supported assets or a start date.
- Update
Standard Chartered sets up a bitcoin and crypto trading desk in London
The desk made the bank one of the first global banks to enter spot cryptocurrency trading.
- Official statement
Official statement from Bitcoin.com News
Banking Giant Standard Chartered Expands Crypto Custody to Singapore
How coverage built up
Independent sources over time, counted the way the consensus panel counts them: a republication of a wire story does not move the line.
- 8 Oct 2026, 04:25 UTC: Bitcoin Insider — 1 independent source, 1 reports
- 8 Oct 2026, 08:01 UTC: CoinGape — 2 independent sources, 2 reports
- 8 Oct 2026, 08:08 UTC: Cointelegraph — 3 independent sources, 3 reports
- 8 Oct 2026, 09:26 UTC: Crypto.News — 4 independent sources, 4 reports
- 8 Oct 2026, 09:32 UTC: CoinDesk — 5 independent sources, 5 reports
- 8 Oct 2026, 15:46 UTC: Bitcoin Magazine — 6 independent sources, 6 reports
- 8 Oct 2026, 19:15 UTC: Bitcoin.com News, official — 7 independent sources, 7 reports
Affected entities
Also mentioned: Monetary Authority of Singapore, Coinbase, USD Coin, Ripple, Germany
Original sources
| Publisher | Report | Role | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin.com News Company, official | Banking Giant Standard Chartered Expands Crypto Custody to Singapore | Independent | |
| Bitcoin Insider Aggregator | StanChart Custody: Are UAE, Luxembourg, HK Live or Not? | Original | |
| CoinDesk Crypto media | Standard Chartered to expand institutional crypto and RWA custody to Singapore | Independent | |
| Cointelegraph Crypto media | Standard Chartered plans institutional crypto custody in Singapore | Independent | |
| Bitcoin Magazine Crypto media | Standard Chartered to Offer Digital Asset Custody in Singapore | Independent | |
| Crypto.News Crypto media | Standard Chartered plans institutional crypto custody service in Singapore | Independent | |
| CoinGape Crypto media | StanChart Plans Singapore Custody for Crypto, Stablecoins and Tokenized Assets, Pending the Regulator | Independent |
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