Standard Chartered licensed to launch crypto trading in UAE

• Bank unveils in-app crypto trading
• Limited to professional investors
• UAE licence expands market⁠⁠

Standard Chartered has made the UAE its first market where individual clients can buy and sell the cryptocurrencies bitcoin and ether directly through its mobile app.

Customers will be able to use their existing bank accounts without needing to open separate crypto wallets or transfer funds to other platforms. Standard Chartered said it was the first international lender in the UAE to offer direct digital-asset trading through its own app.

The bank announced the launch on Wednesday after its onshore UAE entity received a full broker-dealer licence from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (Vara).

The London-headquartered bank operates in 55 markets and generated $21 billion in operating income in 2025. Hong Kong and Singapore accounted for 41 percent of the total, reflecting its strong Asian focus.

Bitcoin is the largest cryptocurrency by market value, while ether is the native token of the Ethereum blockchain.

Ayesha Abbas, managing director and head of affluent and wealth solutions for EMEA and the UAE, said Dubai and the wider UAE were home to “internationally connected clients who increasingly expect access to the most relevant investment opportunities”.

Charting a course

Dubai has established itself as a global centre for virtual assets. Year-to-date transaction volumes at regulated companies had reached almost AED2.5 trillion ($680 billion) by October 2025, according to the Dubai Government Media Office.

The emirate said its regulator and bespoke rulebook provided greater regulatory clarity than many other jurisdictions.

Abbas told AGBI that Dubai and the UAE had “established a very forward-looking regulatory environment” that made it the right location for the bank’s “first global launch of this capability for individual clients”.

Access will initially be limited to existing clients who qualify as professional investors and meet eligibility and suitability requirements.

Abbas described these as individuals with investment “knowledge and experience” and a qualifying level of liquid net worth. She did not specify a financial threshold.

Trading will be on an execution-only basis: clients will make their own decisions rather than receiving advice on each transaction.

Asked about wider retail access, she said it would depend on regulation, client demand and market maturity, alongside suitability checks, risk disclosures and operational safeguards.

Abbas is originally from Pakistan, grew up in Qatar and has lived in the UAE since 2006. She led the bank’s engagement with Vara.

“It was a long-drawn process with a lot of requirements that we ensured we met,” she said. “They asked us both the right and relevant questions.”

Regulating the future

Vara was established in March 2022. In July the regulator said it expected 70 fully licensed virtual assets companies to become operational in the coming months.

Standard Chartered’s approval brings the total to 58 fully licensed providers, according to the regulator’s public register. They include the exchanges Binance, OKX and Crypto.com.

The launch follows a sharp retreat in bitcoin from its October 2025 record of about $126,200. It stood at roughly $83,600 on Tuesday, about a third below that peak.

Abbas said the bank regularly reviews its products. “Consumer sentiment does shift from time to time and remains dynamic,” she said.

Regional business reshaped

Standard Chartered announced in June that it was exploring a sale of its Bahrain wealth and retail operations while retaining corporate and investment banking there.

It has expanded its regional presence in recent years, opening operations in Saudi Arabia in 2021 and Egypt in 2024. Both businesses serve corporate and institutional clients.

Abbas said artificial intelligence was changing client support through analytics, advisory support and routine tasks such as reporting lost cards and navigating online services.

But she stressed the continuing role of relationship managers and investment specialists: “AI technology complements the personal effort. It can never replace it.”

Further reading:

• Standard Chartered brings crypto spot trading to UAE
• UAE lenders deepen ties with regulated crypto firms
• Dubai raises anti-laundering bar for crypto businesses