Standard Chartered Launches Service for Affluent U.A.E. Clients to Trade Bitcoin, Ether
By Joseph Wilkins
Standard Chartered launched a cryptocurrency trading service for professional investors in the United Arab Emirates, allowing them to buy and sell bitcoin and ether through the bank.
The London-based lender said Wednesday it received licensing approval from the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority, or VARA, in Dubai, to launch the service, which will be available to what it called affluent clients in the U.A.E.
Standard Chartered said the trading service eliminates the need for separate wallets or third-party platforms, as transactions will be executed within the bank's ecosystem.
"Bitcoin is seeing signs of increased institutional interest, supported by more established market infrastructure and clearer regulatory frameworks," said Standard Chartered managing director and EMEA head of affluent Ayesha Abbas.
"For high-net-worth clients, it may have a role as a selective component within a well-diversified portfolio, but this must be considered in the context of individual objectives, suitability and risk appetite."
Abbas added that Dubai's status as a "forward-looking environment" for virtual assets helps investors explore cryptocurrencies through trusted institutions with appropriate safeguards and a clear understanding of the risks involved.
As bitcoin moves steadily into the mainstream, investors are gaining more ways to access it.
The flagship cryptocurrency is increasingly competing with other asset classes for a place in diversified long-term portfolios, said Maksym Sakharov, CEO of on-chain banking infrastructure provider WeFi.
"This represents a different way of valuing the asset than in previous cycles because the discussion gradually shifts from whether bitcoin belongs in a portfolio to how much exposure it deserves relative to every other asset competing for long-term capital," he said.
Sakharov added that bitcoin's mainstreaming doesn't make it immune to macroeconomic conditions or changes in investor sentiment.
Write to Joseph Wilkins at joseph.wilkins@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
October 14, 2026 10:49 ET (14:49 GMT)
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