Overview
- Standard Chartered announced on Thursday that it will offer digital‑asset custody in Singapore for institutional clients and accredited corporate investors, covering selected cryptocurrencies, stablecoins and tokenized real‑world assets.
- The custody service will sit inside the bank’s Financing & Securities Services business so clients can hold digital tokens alongside traditional asset servicing on a regulated banking platform.
- The bank is pursuing integration of Zodia Custody’s regulated custody business into its operations but that acquisition and the Singapore launch are subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.
- Standard Chartered has not published a firm launch date or a definitive list of supported assets, and Monetary Authority of Singapore licensing, asset segregation, risk management and cybersecurity rules will determine what can be offered and when.
- If approved, the service could make it easier for institutions to store digital assets with a global bank rather than a crypto native custodian and could accelerate tokenization use cases, so markets should watch for the asset list, MAS permissions and expansion to other hubs.