Standard Chartered is moving deeper into digital asset custody by restructuring Zodia Custody into two separate businesses.
The bank said Zodia Custody shareholders and noteholders have accepted its non-binding offer. The deal still needs regulatory approvals and normal closing steps before it is finalized.
Under the plan, Standard Chartered will bring Zodia Custody’s regulated custody business into its own digital asset custody division. At the same time, a separate platform called Zodia Solutions will be created under SC Ventures to serve banks and financial institutions looking to build crypto services.
Standard Chartered Strengthens Its Crypto Custody Business
The main part of the deal will place Zodia Custody’s regulated custody operations inside Standard Chartered’s Financing and Securities Services business.
This move will help the bank combine its existing custody operations with Zodia’s regulated infrastructure. The goal is to offer a stronger and more complete custody service for institutional digital asset clients around the world.
Margaret Harwood-Jones, Standard Chartered’s global head of Financing and Securities Services, said the acquisition will support the growth of the bank’s global digital asset custody portfolio. She also described the bank as a trusted bridge between traditional finance and decentralized finance.
What Is Zodia Solutions?
The second part of the restructuring focuses on Zodia Solutions.
Zodia Custody will separate its institutional digital asset infrastructure platform and move related assets into this new company. Zodia Solutions will sit under SC Ventures and provide bank-grade technology to financial institutions.
Its role will be different from the regulated custody unit. Instead of only holding digital assets, Zodia Solutions will help banks and institutions launch or expand their own crypto services.
Standard Chartered said the platform will also be backed by several bank investors, including existing Zodia Custody investors.
Why the Zodia Deal Matters
The Standard Chartered Zodia Custody move shows how major banks are trying to take more control over crypto custody.
Institutional investors need safe and regulated ways to hold digital assets. As tokenization, stablecoins, crypto funds, and blockchain-based financial products grow, custody has become one of the most important parts of the digital asset market.
By folding Zodia Custody’s regulated unit into its banking structure, Standard Chartered can reduce overlap and create a clearer custody offering for institutional clients.
The deal also reflects a broader trend: crypto custody is increasingly being delivered inside banking environments rather than only through standalone crypto firms.
Banks Are Racing Into Digital Asset Custody
Standard Chartered is not the only major financial institution moving in this direction.
Large banks and financial firms are exploring custody, staking, tokenized assets, and digital asset settlement. Some are seeking trust bank charters, while others are building regulated entities in key markets.
Standard Chartered has already expanded its crypto custody footprint in regions such as the European Union and the UAE. Its Luxembourg entity was launched to support crypto custody services under Europe’s MiCA framework, adding to earlier work in the Middle East.
The Zodia deal gives the bank another layer of infrastructure as institutional demand for digital asset services grows.
Zodia’s Role in Tokenization
Zodia also remains connected to the tokenization market.
In 2025, Zodia Custody joined Ondo’s Global Markets Alliance, a group focused on tokenized capital markets. This matters because custody is a key requirement for tokenized securities, real-world assets, and other blockchain-based financial products.
If more banks move into tokenized markets, they will need custody, compliance, settlement, and infrastructure partners that meet institutional standards.
That is where Zodia Solutions could become useful. It may allow banks to build digital asset products without developing every part of the technology stack themselves.
What Comes Next?
The deal is not complete yet. Standard Chartered still needs regulatory approval and must finish the usual closing process.
If approved, Zodia Custody’s regulated unit will become part of Standard Chartered’s custody business, while Zodia Solutions will operate separately under SC Ventures.
For the crypto market, the move signals another step toward institutional adoption. Major banks are no longer watching crypto custody from the sidelines. They are building, acquiring, and restructuring platforms to prepare for a future where digital assets become a larger part of global finance.
