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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsStandard Chartered Bank (Singapore) Limited has announced plans to provide custody for selected cryptoassets, stablecoins and tokenised real-world assets to institutional clients and accredited investor corporate clients. The announcement, dated 8 October 2026, describes a planned service, not a live one. The bank says the plan is subject to applicable regulatory requirements, and it gives no start date, no confirmed approval for this offering, no list of supported tokens or networks, and no pricing.
What Standard Chartered announced
The announcement, made on 8 October 2026 by Standard Chartered Bank (Singapore) Limited, rests on five points:
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- Status: a plan to provide the service, expressly subject to applicable regulatory requirements. The release names no launch date.
- Clients: institutional clients and accredited investor corporate clients. The release does not describe retail access.
- Assets: selected cryptoassets, stablecoins and tokenised real-world assets. The word “selected” matters: the bank did not announce full coverage of any category, and it did not list individual assets.
- Purpose: the service is meant to complement the bank’s Financing & Securities Services business, linking traditional asset servicing, tokenisation and digital-asset custody.
- Geography: Singapore is presented as an addition to the bank’s international custody footprint. The release names the UAE, Luxembourg and Hong Kong as markets where the bank already has a presence.
The headline uses “expand,” but the release does not describe an existing Singapore digital-asset custody business being enlarged. This article uses “plans” to match what was actually announced.
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What the announcement does not say
Readers evaluating this service should separate what the bank has stated from what it has left open. As of the 8 October 2026 release, the following are not stated:
| Question | Status in the announcement |
|---|---|
| Launch date | Not stated |
| Specific regulatory approval for this offering | Not claimed |
| Individual supported tokens | Not listed; only three asset categories are named |
| Supported blockchains or networks | Not stated |
| Custody technology and key management | Not stated |
| Insurance and liability terms | Not stated |
| Pricing | Not stated |
| Client onboarding process | Not stated |
| Named clients | Not stated |
Any claim that the service is already operating, that a licence has been granted for this offering, or that a particular token is supported would go beyond the announcement.
Why the bank links custody to securities services
The announcement places custody inside the bank’s wider securities business rather than presenting it as a standalone crypto product. The logic is that institutions holding tokenised securities need the same kinds of safekeeping, servicing and settlement relationships they already have for traditional assets. Standard Chartered says the custody offer complements its traditional asset servicing and tokenisation work. The release does not explain how the services will be technically or contractually connected, so that connection should be treated as a stated intention.
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The bank’s digital-asset infrastructure history is relevant context here. In May 2026, Standard Chartered said that an accepted non-binding offer to acquire the regulated custody activities of Zodia Custody remained subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. The same statement said Zodia’s institutional digital-asset infrastructure platform would be separated into Zodia Solutions. The Singapore announcement does not confirm whether those approvals have been received, so this article does not treat the transaction as completed.
Custody is not stablecoin issuance
Two activities are often grouped together in coverage of stablecoins, but they are different. Custody means safekeeping digital assets or the cryptographic keys that control them on a client’s behalf. Stablecoin issuance means creating a token and managing the reserves or backing that support it. Standard Chartered’s plan is a custody service. Its stablecoin support, if it is offered, would mean holding and servicing tokens issued by others. That is not the same as the issuer obligations covered by Singapore’s stablecoin framework.
The bank’s Global Head of Transaction Services & Digital Assets, Ole Matthiessen, put the premise this way: “Secure and regulated custody is a critical foundation of the digital asset ecosystem.” The statement expresses the bank’s view of the market and does not describe how the planned service will achieve that security.
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Singapore’s regulatory backdrop
MAS stablecoin consultation (1 September 2026)
On 1 September 2026, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) published a consultation on proposed legislative amendments to implement its stablecoin framework. Under the proposals, only issuers licensed under that framework could describe themselves as licensed MAS-regulated stablecoin issuers or present their stablecoins as MAS-regulated. Stablecoins that are not MAS-regulated would be treated as Digital Payment Tokens under the framework as described.
MAS Deputy Managing Director (Financial Supervision) Ho Hern Shin said: “The framework will provide clear regulatory guardrails for stablecoins that meet high standards of value stability and governance.” This is a consultation on proposed amendments, not an approval regime already in force, and it does not establish approval for Standard Chartered’s custody plan or for any particular token.
The bank’s explainer on applicable rules (15 June 2026)
A Standard Chartered explainer dated 15 June 2026 says Singapore rules may involve the Payment Services Act for payment activities, the Securities and Futures Act for tokenised capital-markets products, and the Financial Services and Markets Act depending on the services provided. It also identifies jurisdictional fragmentation and blockchain interoperability as custody challenges.
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- FAST & CONVENIENT LOGIN: Plug in your Security Key NFC via USB-A and tap it, or tap it against your phone (NFC) to authenticate. No batteries, no internet connection, and no extra fees required.
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Treat this as the bank’s general account, not a legal opinion on the planned service. The Financial Services and Markets Act is also the name of a UK statute, so readers should confirm which legislation applies to a given activity in Singapore rather than relying on the act name alone.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Market figures in context
Standard Chartered’s 2026 article supplies the following estimates and forecasts. They are not realised results, and the attributions differ by row.
| Figure | Source as reported | Nature |
|---|---|---|
| Approximately USD 700 billion in global digital-asset custody in 2025 | Standard Chartered, 2026 article | The bank’s own stated estimate |
| USD 2 trillion by 2028 for global tokenised real-world assets, excluding stablecoins | Standard Chartered projection, 2026 article | Bank projection |
| Approximately USD 16 trillion by 2030 for tokenised assets | Boston Consulting Group, as reported by Standard Chartered in 2026 | Third-party projection cited by the bank |
| USD 2 trillion to USD 4 trillion by 2030 for tokenised assets | McKinsey, as reported by Standard Chartered in 2026 | Third-party projection cited by the bank |
| USD 2 trillion stablecoin market capitalisation by end-2028 | Standard Chartered projection, 2026 article | Bank projection |
These figures describe where the bank expects the market to go. They say nothing about this service’s client numbers, assets under custody or performance.
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- FAST & CONVENIENT LOGIN: Plug in your YubiKey 5 via USB and tap it to authenticate. No batteries, no internet connection, and no extra fees required.
- MOST SECURE PASSKEY: Supports FIDO2/WebAuthn, FIDO U2F, Yubico OTP, OATH-TOTP/HOTP, Smart card (PIV), and OpenPGP. That means it’s versatile, working almost anywhere you need it.
- BUILT TO LAST: Made from tough, waterproof, and crush-resistant materials. Manufactured in Sweden and programmed in the USA with the highest security standards.
What institutional clients should ask before engaging
The announcement does not answer these questions, so they are the practical diligence points for any eligible client assessing the service once details are published:
- Which services and asset types are covered by a specific regulatory permission, and which are still subject to requirements?
- Whether the client qualifies under the bank’s institutional or accredited investor corporate criteria.
- Which tokens and networks are supported, and how the bank handles assets on chains it does not yet support.
- How client assets are segregated, and who controls the keys and under what authorisation process.
- Cybersecurity controls and key management, including recovery procedures.
- Insurance coverage and the liability terms that apply if assets are lost or compromised.
- Operational resilience, settlement processes and interoperability with other platforms.
- Pricing, onboarding timelines and the launch date, once the bank confirms them.
Until the bank publishes these terms, the announcement is best read as a statement of intent from a regulated bank with an existing custody footprint in other markets, not as a service that clients can yet use in Singapore.
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