Standard Chartered Makes History by Expanding Crypto Deal into EU – Shocking Moves Ahead!

In a move that has the regulators of Europe scratching their heads and trying to keep up, Standard Chartered has become the first Global Systemically Important Bank (G-SIB) to directly expand a partnership with a crypto exchange into the European Union.

Yes, you heard that right. A *bank*, a *real* bank, not some shady offshore operation, is pushing forward with crypto in the heart of the European regulatory maze. The timing couldn’t be better – or worse, depending on how you look at it. This marks a pivotal step toward regulatory acceptance of hybrid custody models, signaling a profound shift in how traditional finance and digital assets are learning to coexist under MiCA’s shiny new framework. Exciting, isn’t it?

Standard Chartered Becomes the First Major Global Bank to Expand Crypto Exchange Deal Into EU with OKX

Hold on to your hats. The collaboration between Standard Chartered and OKX is more than just your average partnership; it’s the stuff of future finance legends. The bank is integrating its regulated custody services into OKX’s European institutional offering, ensuring that institutions can now trade on OKX while keeping their assets locked up tight with the bank. So much for “keeping your money under the mattress” – this is institutional-grade security, baby!

Reducing counterparty risk is the name of the game here. And let’s be real – when was the last time you heard a banker say that about crypto? Probably never. But now, this partnership addresses key concerns for regulators and institutional investors alike. How far we’ve come!

“This expansion highlights Standard Chartered’s confidence as the first and only G-SIB to work directly with a crypto exchange [and] the growing trust of regulators in this model,” said Erald Ghoos, CEO of OKX Europe, in the announcement. Seriously, you’d think someone just gave him a bonus for this.

Oh, but it gets juicier. This isn’t just about the EU; this partnership builds on a previous collaboration launched in the UAE back in April 2025. The two firms introduced a collateral mirroring program. This isn’t your grandma’s crypto structure – we’re talking about bank-grade custody and exchange-level liquidity working hand-in-hand. Welcome to the future!

Now that this model has been extended to the European Economic Area, OKX finds itself one of the few exchanges to globally align its infrastructure with banking-grade security and compliance standards. The exchange is no longer just “another crypto exchange,” folks. This is a powerhouse now.

Margaret Harwood-Jones, Global Head of Financing and Securities Services at Standard Chartered, couldn’t help but wax poetic about the expansion. She’s calling it a “significant milestone.” We’re calling it a major leap toward normalizing the whole “crypto in Europe” thing.

She went on to say that combining the bank’s custody infrastructure with OKX’s regulatory framework is the magic recipe for “ensuring the highest standards of security and compliance for institutional clients in Europe.” Fancy words, right? But let’s face it, we all know she’s onto something here.

And as for OKX? Well, it’s not just a crypto exchange anymore; it’s a full-fledged compliance and transparency machine. CEO Star Xu couldn’t resist dropping some knowledge bombs: “Building transparency, compliance, and trust takes years of real work – local licenses, 500+ compliance professionals, partnerships with global banks like Standard Chartered. This is how crypto grows up.” Wise words, Star, wise words.

“Building transparency, compliance, and trust takes years of real work – local licenses, 500+ compliance professionals, partnerships with global banks like Standard Chartered. This is how crypto grows up,” said OKX CEO Star Xu. So, no more “wild west” here, folks. Just grown-up crypto.

Haider Rafique, OKX’s Chief Marketing Officer, couldn’t resist bragging a little bit more. He pointed out that the past few years have been all about growing from offshore to onshore. Who knew that “growing up” for crypto would involve opening local offices, hiring ex-bankers and law enforcement, and playing nice with regulators? But hey, someone’s gotta do it!

OKX IS NOT AN OFFSHORE EXCHANGE

The one thing the entire OKX team has been putting a lot of effort towards the last 2-3 years is to evolve from an offshore to an onshore exchange. This led to us,

1. Expanding our licenses/local offices
2. Building a 500+ compliance team
3.…

– Haider (@Haider) October 15, 2025

OKX and Standard Chartered Signal a New Era of Regulated Crypto Markets

The timing, of course, is everything. This announcement follows a series of enforcement waves against illicit crypto networks. Who’s up next? Well, Huione Group is definitely not on anyone’s Christmas card list, as it faces accusations of facilitating billions in crypto-related fraud. Yikes.

But hey, OKX has publicly distanced itself from such mischief-makers, doubling down on its internal controls to protect customer integrity and regulatory trust. Good for them, right? Who wants to be part of that crypto circus anyway?

For Europe’s crypto ecosystem, the Standard Chartered-OKX partnership isn’t just another press release. It’s a bold declaration that institutional-grade digital asset markets are finally maturing under regulatory oversight. The days of “wild crypto” are fading fast. Now, we’re talking about bank-backed security and transparency. What a concept!

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2025-10-16 11:04