Standard Chartered Debuts Bitcoin Trading In the United Arab Emirates

According to Bitcoin Magazine, multinational bank Standard Chartered has debuted bitcoin spot trading for eligible institutional clients in the United Arab Emirates, marking the first service of its kind in the country. Rola Abu Manneh, Chief Executive Officer for the UAE, Middle East, and Pakistan at Standard Chartered, stated that the UAE has developed a clear digital assets regulatory framework supporting institutional participation and innovation.

Standard Chartered previously launched digital asset custody services in the UAE in 2024. In 2025, the bank established a London trading desk for bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies integrated into its forex operation, and also launched a blockchain unit called Libeara for institutional asset tokenization. Additionally, Bitcoin Magazine reported that Geoffrey Kendrick, the bank's Global Head of Digital Assets Research, noted in an August investor note that a year-end bitcoin price forecast of $100,000 was too low, suggesting an overshoot toward the all-time high of $126,000 could be possible before the end of the year.