Standard Chartered opens Bitcoin, Ether trading to UAE wealth clients — SkimNews
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- Standard Chartered opened spot Bitcoin and Ether trading to UAE professional investors with at least 4 million dirhams (~$1.1 million) in net assets, plus demonstrated investment knowledge or representation by a licensed entity
- Samir Subberwal, Standard Chartered's global head of wealth solutions, said digital assets are "moving into mainstream wealth conversations" and clients seek the security of a regulated institution
- The UAE retail launch follows Standard Chartered's September rollout of crypto trading services for institutional clients in the same market
- Payward (Kraken's parent) received VARA approval Monday to provide crypto services in the UAE, and Revolut received in-principle VARA approval in July — showing parallel digital-asset expansion across the region
Why it matters: Standard Chartered is folding crypto into its traditional banking relationship for a $1.1 million-asset client base in the UAE, while Kraken-owner Payward and Revolut simultaneously secure VARA approvals — turning the Gulf into a competitive corridor where regulated incumbents and crypto-native firms race for the same wealthy clientele.
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