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- Standard Chartered will absorb Zodia Custody’s regulated crypto custody business in-house.
- Zodia Solutions will become a separate platform under SC Ventures for institutions.
- Current Zodia Custody clients are expected to continue receiving services as usual.
Standard Chartered will absorb Zodia Custody’s regulated crypto custody business after shareholders accepted its acquisition offer. The deal will also create Zodia Solutions as a separate infrastructure platform for banks and institutional clients, expanding digital asset services globally.
According to the announcement, the move will streamline the bank’s digital asset custody operations and support a broader institutional offering.
Zodia Solutions to Operate Under SC Ventures
Zodia Solutions will operate as an independent company under SC Ventures. The platform will have a number of banking investors on board, including existing Zodia Custody shareholders.
The company will provide bank-grade infrastructure to financial institutions. Standard Chartered will also leverage the platform as it grows digital asset services for clients.
Zodia Custody was launched in 2020 by Standard Chartered and Northern Trust. It was created as a regulated crypto custody platform for institutional investors.
The bank said the transaction would unlock revenue and cost synergies. It also said the deal would strengthen its global digital asset custody services.
Margaret Harwood-Jones, global head of financing and securities services at Standard Chartered, said the acquisition would accelerate growth in the bank’s global digital asset custody portfolio.
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The companies said current custody clients should not face disruption. They said services are expected to continue as usual after the deal.
Standard Chartered Follows Broader Bank Custody Shift
The announcement follows an April report from Bloomberg. That report said Standard Chartered was considering moving parts of Zodia Custody into an existing business division.
The same report said Zodia could continue as a software-as-a-service platform. Monday’s announcement formalized that structure through the planned Zodia Solutions spinout.
The move comes as large banks build regulated crypto custody services. Financial institutions are seeking clearer structures to hold digital assets directly for clients.
BNY Mellon launched its Digital Asset Custody platform in the United States in 2022. The service allowed selected clients to hold and transfer Bitcoin and Ether alongside traditional assets on one platform.
Morgan Stanley applied for a U.S. de novo national trust bank charter in February 2026. The charter would allow it to custody certain digital assets for clients within a bank-regulated framework.
The Standard Chartered deal adds another example of banks bringing core digital asset custody closer to their own operations. It also keeps a separate technology platform for institutions that need regulated infrastructure.
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