Standard Chartered is reintegrating Zodia Custody, incubated by its SC Ventures, in the latest sign that maturing digital asset markets are spurring deeper integration between mainstream finance and the crypto sector.
Standard Chartered Buys Back Zodia Custody In Digital Asset Consolidation
19 May 2026 - 10:47 CEST
Separating infrastructure unit
Standard Chartered, which held approximately 70% of Zodia Custody, said in an 18 May statement that its non-binding offer to acquire the remaining stake was accepted. The bank bought out minority investors, including Northern Trust, which co-founded the custody entity in late 2020, alongside SBI Holdings, National Australia Bank, and Emirates NBD. Terms were not disclosed.
Zodia Custody's regulated activities will be integrated into the bank's Financing and Securities Services division, while its infrastructure platform will be spun off as Zodia Solutions, an independent entity under SC Ventures.
The acquisition “reflects the group’s continued focus on building an end-to-end Digital Assets offering, and it further strengthens our position as the trusted bridge between TradFi and DeFi,” said Margaret Harwood-Jones, Global Head of Financing and Securities Services at Standard Chartered.
Scaling digital assets
Evolving global regulations, from the EU's MiCA framework to the Trump administration's pro-crypto shift, have brought digital assets out of pilots and into compliant core systems.
“Digital asset custody is increasingly being delivered within banking environments. At the same time, financial institutions are increasingly seeking specialist infrastructure partners to support the launch and scale of digital asset services,” said Julian Sawyer, CEO of Zodia Custody.
London-headquartered Standard Chartered has total assets of more than $900bn. It has a significant presence in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, and was the first Global Systemically Important Bank (G-SIB) to establish a live, deliverable spot crypto trading desk through its UK-regulated entities, integrating Bitcoin and Ether execution into its mainstream FX platforms.
