Standard Chartered announced plans to launch digital asset custody services for institutional clients in Singapore, expanding the British multinational bank’s footprint in crypto infrastructure across Asia.
The service will cover selected cryptoassets, stablecoins, and tokenized real-world assets. Standard Chartered already operates custody services in the United Arab Emirates, Luxembourg, and Hong Kong.
“Singapore is an important centre for financial innovation, with a strong institutional ecosystem and growing demand for trusted digital asset solutions,” Patrick Lee, CEO of Singapore and CEO of ASEAN & South Asia at Standard Chartered, said in a statement.
Custody as Entry Point
Crypto custody is often a starting point for banks moving into the digital asset space. Standard Chartered’s expansion follows its 2025 launch of blockchain unit Libeara and the establishment of a trading desk for bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in London as part of its forex trading operation.
Last month, Standard Chartered debuted bitcoin trading in the UAE for institutional clients. The bank has now positioned itself alongside other major financial institutions entering the sector: BNY Mellon became the first major U.S. bank to offer digital asset custody services in 2022, and Deutsche Bank said it plans to launch custody services for bitcoin, ether, and select stablecoins for European clients later in 2026.
Infrastructure and Asset Servicing
Lee emphasized the role of infrastructure in supporting institutional-scale digital asset operations. “Robust infrastructure will be critical to supporting the secure movement, safekeeping, and servicing of tokenised assets at an institutional scale,” he said.
Banks worldwide are integrating or offering bitcoin-related products and services as institutional demand for regulated custody and trading platforms grows. Standard Chartered did not specify a launch timeline for the Singapore service or name the specific cryptoassets and stablecoins included in the offering.
