Standard Chartered Signs Deal to Acquire Zodia Custody

Standard Chartered on Oct. 21, 2026 signed definitive agreements to acquire 100% of Zodia Custody UK Limited, the parent of crypto custodian Zodia Custody. The price was not disclosed, and closing depends on regulatory approvals and customary conditions.

The details

Zodia Custody UK owns the regulated operating entities in Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, the UAE and Luxembourg. The bank will fold them into its Securities Services business, consolidating its digital asset custody operations. Standard Chartered first announced its non-binding offer in May 2026, and Zodia's shareholders and noteholders accepted it on May 18. The newly signed agreements make the deal binding.

Zodia's software and professional-services arm will be spun out as Zodia Solutions, an independent company under SC Ventures. Bank investors named include NAB Ventures, Northern Trust and Emirates NBD. Zodia Solutions CEO Craig Perrin said financial institutions need trusted technology partners with the expertise and infrastructure to support them.

Ying Ying Tan, the bank's Global Head of Securities Services and Digital Assets, said the acquisition "deepens our digital asset custody portfolio." Zodia Custody CEO Richard Clark said combining that expertise with the bank's global reach will strengthen its custody offering.

What this means for the market

The deal extends a run of crypto moves by the bank: on Oct. 14 it launched BTC and ETH trading for wealthy UAE clients, and earlier it began RLUSD custody. Owning a licensed custodian gives it its own storage infrastructure rather than a partner's.

It is another sign of large banks bringing crypto custody in-house. No closing timeline was given. Live prices are on the main page; coins: Bitcoin, Ethereum.