Standard Chartered establishes a crypto prime broker, the next move for traditional financial giants

Standard Chartered is making its next big move in the crypto space. According to the latest news, this London-headquartered global systemically important bank plans to establish a prime brokerage business focused on cryptocurrency trading. This is not just a new department, but another landmark step for traditional financial institutions accelerating their entry into digital assets.

From Investment to Self-Built: Standard Chartered’s Strategic Upgrade

Standard Chartered’s presence in the crypto sector is no longer news, but this prime brokerage plan marks a significant strategic upgrade.

A Complete Picture of Existing Layout

According to public information, Standard Chartered has already made systematic investments in the crypto field:

• In 2023, invested in crypto custody provider Zodia Custody
• Subsequently invested in institutional trading platform Zodia Markets
• In July 2025, became the first global systemically important bank to offer spot crypto trading to institutional clients
• In December 2025, its venture capital arm SC Ventures publicly announced Project37C, positioned as a “lightweight financing and market platform”

The current prime brokerage business will be established under SC Ventures, meaning it will be linked with projects like the Zodia series and Project37C.

What Does a Prime Brokerage Business Mean

What role does a prime broker play in traditional finance? It is the “trading hub” for institutional investors—offering a suite of services including financing, trade execution, clearing, and settlement. Moving this model into the crypto space, Standard Chartered is essentially building a complete trading ecosystem for institutional investors.

This echoes the recent funding story of PhotonPay. As a provider of stablecoin payment infrastructure, PhotonPay’s goal after funding is to expand payment processing capabilities, and its partners include traditional financial institutions like Standard Chartered. Both the prime brokerage business and PhotonPay’s payment infrastructure are fundamentally doing the same thing: improving institutional-grade trading infrastructure for crypto assets.

Why Now?

This timing is quite interesting. The discussion is still in early stages, and specific service launch dates are not yet clear, but why is Standard Chartered accelerating its layout?

From the market perspective, institutional demand for crypto assets is rising. Standard Chartered’s forecast of ETH reaching $8,000 by 2026 reflects growing institutional appetite for crypto allocations. Increased institutional investment creates a more urgent need for trading infrastructure.

From the competitive perspective, banks worldwide are ramping up their digital asset strategies. If Standard Chartered doesn’t establish its prime brokerage early, latecomers might seize this market.

From the policy perspective, regulatory frameworks for crypto assets are gradually improving, creating conditions for traditional financial institutions to enter the space officially.

Potential Market Impact

This move is significant beyond just Standard Chartered.

First, it further bridges traditional finance and crypto assets. When global systemically important banks start offering prime brokerage services, crypto assets move closer to mainstream acceptance.

Second, it will accelerate institutional entry. With prime brokerage support, transaction costs for institutions will decrease, and risk management will improve. This could further boost trading volume and liquidity in crypto markets.

Third, it will reinforce the status of crypto assets as an asset class. Prime brokerage essentially says: we view crypto assets as on par with stocks and bonds, and we need to provide the same level of trading infrastructure.

Follow-up Focus

Several uncertainties are worth noting:

• When will the prime brokerage services go live? — This determines when the market can truly benefit
• Service coverage — Will it be limited to existing Standard Chartered clients or open to external clients?
• The specific relationship with Project37C — How will these two businesses coordinate?
• Regulatory stance — As GSIBs expand crypto activities, regulatory approval is required

Summary

From investing in the Zodia series and launching spot trading, to now planning to build a prime brokerage business, Standard Chartered demonstrates a full progression from “testing waters” to “deep cultivation” in crypto for traditional financial giants. This is not an isolated business decision but a microcosm of the institutionalization process in the industry. As more global systemically important banks begin offering crypto prime brokerage services, the market structure will undergo profound changes—more liquidity, better risk management, and a higher proportion of institutional investors. For the crypto market, this signals a gradual move toward maturity.