Standard Chartered has launched a service allowing affluent clients in the UAE to trade Bitcoin and Ether directly through their existing bank accounts, making it the first international bank to offer such direct crypto trading in the region. The service operates within the bank's own system under Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), ensuring institutional-grade custody and settlement. This move simplifies crypto access by integrating it into traditional banking apps but comes with spreads up to 2%, which may deter frequent traders. The launch aligns with the UAE's goal to become a regulated hub for virtual assets and follows the bank's phased rollout from custody services in 2024 to institutional and now wealth-client trading in 2026.
Standard Chartered's launch of direct Bitcoin and Ether trading for affluent UAE clients comes as 15 of 50 major cryptocurrencies on Pluang rose while 34 fell today. For readers following the crypto market, here is Pluang's snapshot as of Oct 14, 2026 15:21 WIB: Tezos (XTZ) declined 6.46% with 82% sell order activity, Basic Attention Token (BAT) rose 5.74% despite 94% sell orders, and The Sandbox (SAND) fell 4.66% with 90% buy orders. This breadth indicates mixed sentiment among traders on the platform.
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