Standard Chartered To Launch Crypto Prime Brokerage Through VC Unit – Report

Banking large Standard Chartered is reportedly planning to launch a chief brokerage for cryptocurrency buying and selling amid a world push by banks to ascertain digital asset ventures and compete within the sector.

Standard Chartered Plans Crypto Expansion

On Monday, Bloomberg reported that London-based Standard Chartered is allegedly getting ready to broaden its crypto efforts with the launch of a chief brokerage for digital property buying and selling.

According to sources conversant in the matter, discussions are within the early phases, and an official timeline for the launch has not been outlined. However, they revealed that the key international financial institution plans to launch the brand new crypto enterprise inside its enterprise capital (VC) unit SV Ventures.

Notably, Standard Chartered’s VC unit just lately announced that it’s creating Project37C, a three way partnership associated to digital property, however didn’t particularly name the platform a crypto prime brokerage. The three way partnership is about to supply custody, tokenization, and market entry, and “complement the broader Standard Chartered digital asset ecosystem.”

At the time, Harald Eltvedt, Operating Member and Head of Venture Building at SV Ventures, affirmed that “as we see institutional engagement with digital property accelerating, there may be equally a rising want for platforms that mix innovation with a high normal.”

As the report famous, the banking large has been one of the vital lively international monetary establishments within the digital property sector. Notably, it has backed a number of crypto ventures, together with custodians and institutional buying and selling platforms.

In July, the establishment grew to become the primary international systemically necessary financial institution to supply spot Bitcoin and Ethereum buying and selling for institutional shoppers. In This autumn 2025, Standard Chartered announced its partnership with crypto alternate OKX within the European Economic Area (EEA) and its collaboration with DCS Card Center because the banking associate for a bank card that allows customers to make stablecoin transactions.

Last month, Standard Chartered expanded its partnership with Coinbase to develop a set of crypto prime companies for institutional shoppers, together with buying and selling, staking, custody, and lending.

Global Banking Rules’ Challenge

Bloomberg highlighted that Standard Chartered may gain advantage from launching the brand new enterprise by SC Ventures, as it could assist circumvent some strict capital requirements for digital property in company and funding banks.

It’s price noting that the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) launched its normal for the “prudential therapy of banks’ exposures to cryptoassets” in 2022, together with tokenized conventional property, stablecoins, and unbacked digital property.

Under Basel III guidelines, banks that maintain cryptocurrencies face a threat cost far increased than with some other threat property. The establishments are required to adjust to a 1,250% threat cost for publicity to permissionless crypto property reminiscent of Bitcoin and Ether. Meanwhile, some VC investments underneath the most recent Basel capital package deal solely face a 400% cost.

As reported by Bitcoinist, international regulators are in talks to evaluation and doubtlessly overhaul guidelines for banks’ crypto holdings, set to return into power in 2026. Senior executives acknowledged that banks have largely interpreted the requirements as a sign to keep away from crypto “since they imposed a heavy capital burden on such holdings.”

However, the latest international shift towards the crypto business has sparked debates on the BCBS relating to the suitability of those guidelines underneath the present surroundings, with main jurisdictions, together with the US and UK, not committing to implementing them on time.

The US has been reportedly main calls to amend these requirements, arguing that the foundations are “incompatible with the business’s evolution,” notably within the stablecoin sector. Moreover, some international locations appear to agree with the US’s reasoning and favor reviewing the requirements earlier than they’re broadly applied.