Standard Chartered Becomes First Global Bank to Extend Crypto Deal into EU
Regulators throughout Europe are taking discover as Standard Chartered turns into the primary Global Systemically Important Bank (G-SIB) to immediately develop a partnership with a crypto change into the European Union.
The transfer marks a pivotal step towards regulatory acceptance of hybrid custody fashions. It indicators a shift in how conventional finance and digital belongings coexist underneath MiCA’s new framework.
Standard Chartered Becomes First Major Global Bank to Expand Crypto Exchange Deal Into EU with OKX
The collaboration integrates Standard Chartered’s regulated custody companies into OKX’s European institutional providing. It helps safeguarded collateral mirroring and enhanced asset safety for institutional purchasers.
This permits establishments to commerce on OKX whereas protecting their belongings securely custodied with the financial institution. By decreasing counterparty threat, the collaboration addresses a key concern for regulators and huge traders alike.
“This growth highlights Standard Chartered’s confidence as the primary and solely G-SIB to work immediately with a crypto change [and] the rising belief of regulators on this mannequin,” said Erald Ghoos, CEO of OKX Europe, within the announcement.
The partnership builds on an earlier collaboration launched within the UAE in April 2025. The two companies introduced the collateral mirroring program. The first-of-its-kind construction allowed bank-grade custody and exchange-level liquidity to function seamlessly collectively.
Now prolonged to the European Economic Area, the mannequin positions the OKX exchange as one of many few that globally aligns its infrastructure with banking-grade safety and compliance requirements.
At Standard Chartered, Margaret Harwood-Jones, Global Head of Financing and Securities Services, described the growth as a major milestone.
She stated that combining the financial institution’s custody infrastructure with OKX’s regulatory framework means “guaranteeing the very best requirements of safety and compliance for institutional purchasers in Europe.”
In addition, the announcement represents a deeper strategic transformation for OKX. As the change continues to secure local licenses and expand its compliance operations, its executives are pushing to redefine OKX’s world identification.
“Building transparency, compliance, and belief takes years of actual work — native licenses, 500+ compliance professionals, partnerships with world banks like Standard Chartered. This is how crypto grows up,” said OKX CEO Star Xu.
OKX’s Chief Marketing Officer Haider Rafique bolstered the shift. He indicated that the previous few years have been about rising from offshore to onshore. This entailed increasing native workplaces, hiring from banks and legislation enforcement, and bettering OKX’s skill to work immediately with regulators.
OKX and Standard Chartered Signal a New Era of Regulated Crypto Markets
Meanwhile, the timing of the announcement is notable. It follows latest enforcement waves towards illicit crypto networks. Among them are the OFAC and FinCEN designations towards Huione Group, accused of facilitating billions in crypto-related fraud.
OKX has additionally publicly distanced itself from such entities, reaffirming strict inside controls to defend buyer integrity and regulatory belief.
For Europe’s crypto ecosystem, the Standard Chartered–OKX partnership represents greater than an achievement.
Moreover, it’s a sign that institutional-grade digital asset markets are maturing underneath regulatory oversight. This brings bank-backed safety and transparency into what was as soon as a largely unregulated area.
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