Standard Chartered to Acquire 100% of Zodia Custody

Standard Chartered entered into definitive agreements on Oct. 21, 2026, to acquire 100% of Zodia Custody UK Limited through its subsidiary Standard Chartered I H Limited ¹. The acquisition remains subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals ¹.

Under the terms of the transaction, the bank will take full ownership of Zodia Custody's parent company and its regulated operating entities in Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, Luxembourg, and the United Arab Emirates ¹. Following the closing of the deal, Zodia Custody's regulated digital asset custody operations will be integrated directly into Standard Chartered’s existing Securities Services division to create a unified platform spanning traditional and digital asset securities services ¹. Zodia Custody stated that existing custody clients will experience no operational disruption during the transition ¹.

Carve-Out of Zodia Solutions

As part of the acquisition agreement, Zodia Custody will spin off its digital asset software and professional services operations into an independent entity named Zodia Solutions ¹. Established under the bank's innovation and investment arm, SC Ventures, Zodia Solutions will focus on providing bank-grade infrastructure to financial institutions launching digital asset products ¹.

Zodia Solutions will receive backing from an investor consortium of global institutions, including Northern Trust Corporation, NAB Ventures, Emirates NBD Bank, SBI Ventures Asset, Further Ventures' Q Studio Restricted Limited, Investcorp's Zodia Investments Limited, and SC Ventures-owned Zodia Holdings Limited ¹.

The consolidation occurs as global institutional digital asset markets expand, with total crypto market capitalization standing at $2.76 trillion at the time of writing. By folding the regulated custody infrastructure directly onto its primary balance sheet framework, Standard Chartered is moving digital asset custody from an affiliated venture model into its core institutional custody operations ¹.