Standard Chartered brings crypto spot trading to UAE

Standard Chartered has launched a spot trading service in the UAE, allowing its institutional clients in the country to buy and sell Bitcoin and Ether cryptocurrencies.

The service, offered through its Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC)-registered branch, makes Standard Chartered the first global bank of its scale to offer spot trading capabilities in the GCC, it claimed in a statement.

The bank also expanded its regulated digital asset offering by becoming a custody provider, meaning it will hold cryptocurrencies on behalf of its customers.

“The UAE has developed a clear digital assets regulatory framework that supports institutional participation and innovation,” said Rola Abu Manneh, CEO, UAE, Middle East and Pakistan at Standard Chartered.

Standard Chartered first introduced institutional Bitcoin and Ether spot trading through its UK branch in July 2025.

Bitcoin was trading at nearly 1 percent higher at $77,889 on Thursday afternoon, while Ether was up 0.6 percent at $2,407.

In July, Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (Vara) licensed 50 companies and expects another 20 to become operational.

Virtual asset transaction volumes across regulated entities were almost AED2.5 trillion ($680 billion) in 2025, according to the Dubai Government Media Office.

The emirate intends to establish itself as a regulated centre for digital assets, attracting industry names including Binance, OKX and Crypto.com, as it competes with financial centres such as Singapore and Hong Kong.

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