Frankfurt, Germany — October 15, 2025: Standard Chartered Bank and cryptocurrency exchange OKX are deepening their collaboration by expanding their joint digital asset custody and trading partnership into the European Economic Area (EEA), the companies said Tuesday. The move marks a major step in both firms’ bid to strengthen regulated digital asset services across global markets.
The two companies first launched their partnership in the United Arab Emirates in April 2025 through a collateral mirroring program designed to reduce counterparty risk for institutional investors. The system allows clients to keep their digital assets securely with Standard Chartered — which acts as an independent, regulated custodian — while conducting trades on OKX’s exchange platform.
By extending the arrangement to Europe, the partners aim to integrate trading and custody services across one of the world’s most tightly regulated financial regions. The expansion comes as the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework begins to take effect, setting clear standards for crypto service providers operating within the bloc.
Margaret Harwood-Jones, Global Head of Financing and Securities Services at Standard Chartered, described the expansion as “a significant milestone” for the collaboration. She said the bank’s established custody infrastructure, combined with OKX’s regulatory compliance, would “ensure the highest standards of security and oversight for institutional clients in Europe.”
OKX’s Vice President of Institutional Sales and Business Development, Iskandar Vanblarcum, said the move underscores the company’s intent to “build a trusted, fully regulated marketplace in Europe.” He added that the combination of OKX’s MiCA license and its custody partnership with Standard Chartered gives institutional investors greater confidence to deploy capital “in a safeguarded, transparent environment.”
The partnership reflects a broader trend of convergence between traditional financial institutions and digital asset firms, as banks seek to adapt to growing demand for secure crypto infrastructure and regulators tighten oversight in the sector.
