170-Year-Old Bank Now Holds OKX Institutional Clients’ Crypto in Europe

Why It Matters

For OKX and Standard Chartered, the deal aims to boost client trust, expand institutional access in Europe, and potentially accelerate broader adoption by anchoring digital-asset custody with a legacy bank.

Summary

OKX has struck a custody arrangement with 170-year-old Standard Chartered to hold its institutional clients’ cryptocurrencies in Europe, marking a major traditional bank entry into crypto custody for institutional flows. The tie-up comes after October’s market crash and is positioned by OKX Europe’s Erald Ghoos as evidence against the “Wild West” view of crypto, signaling increased institutionalization and regulatory alignment. For OKX and Standard Chartered, the deal aims to boost client trust, expand institutional access in Europe, and potentially accelerate broader adoption by anchoring digital-asset custody with a legacy bank.