Standard Chartered absorbs Zodia Custody's crypto business to build out its own digital asset infrastructure!

Standard Chartered has agreed to acquire the crypto custody business of Zodia Custody, its majority-owned subsidiary, folding the operation directly into the bank's own digital asset infrastructure, Bloomberg reported. The move consolidates what had been a partially arm's-length structure into a fully integrated in-house offering.

The absorption is the culmination of a multi-year push by StanChart to own institutional crypto custody outright. The bank already launched its own custody brand and secured a Luxembourg MiCA license in 2025 — two steps that signalled the direction of travel well before this deal was announced.

For institutional clients, the shift means crypto custody backed by a Tier-1 global bank's full balance sheet and regulatory standing, rather than a subsidiary vehicle. That distinction matters as regulated custodians become a prerequisite for pension funds and asset…