How Standard Chartered Is Positioning for the Future of Digital Assets
•February 23, 2026
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Why It Matters
The move signals that a major global bank is committing resources to digital assets, potentially reshaping cross‑border payments, treasury operations and the competitive landscape for fintech partnerships.
Key Takeaways
- •Bank builds multi‑blockchain infrastructure, not single‑chain focus
- •Stablecoins used for 24/7 cross‑border remittances
- •Partnerships with crypto firms maintain compliance, expand services
- •Strategy aims to modernize correspondent banking networks
- •Regulatory frameworks guide regulated crypto infrastructure
Pulse Analysis
Standard Chartered’s multi‑chain rollout reflects a broader industry shift from experimental pilots to production‑grade digital‑asset services. By allocating engineering talent to several public and permissioned ledgers, the bank sidesteps the uncertainty of a single interoperability breakthrough and positions itself to serve clients across a spectrum of tokenised assets. This approach also mitigates concentration risk and aligns with the bank’s capital‑efficiency goals, allowing it to offer blockchain‑based products without compromising balance‑sheet discipline.
Stablecoins sit at the core of the bank’s cross‑border vision, offering instant settlement and 24‑hour liquidity that traditional correspondent channels cannot match. Leveraging these programmable currencies, Standard Chartered aims to cut remittance costs, reduce settlement latency, and provide a seamless alternative to legacy networks such as SWIFT. The bank’s focus on regulated stablecoin frameworks ensures that anti‑money‑laundering and know‑your‑customer safeguards remain intact, fostering trust among institutional clients and regulators alike.
Collaboration with fintech and crypto‑native firms is another pillar of the strategy, enabling rapid product innovation while preserving compliance. By embedding regulated crypto infrastructure within its existing risk‑management architecture, Standard Chartered can offer bespoke digital‑asset solutions—from tokenised treasury holdings to crypto‑linked wealth products—without exposing the institution to unchecked volatility. This partnership model not only expands the bank’s service catalogue but also accelerates the broader adoption of interoperable financial systems, positioning Standard Chartered as a catalyst for the next wave of global payments modernization.
Original Description
Digital assets are no longer experimental — they are becoming part of mainstream banking strategy.
In this video, we explore how Standard Chartered is approaching digital assets across investment banking, wealth, and retail — balancing innovation with regulation and infrastructure readiness.
Recorded at Sibos 2025, this episode features Rene Michau, Global Head of Digital Assets, who shares how the bank is building real capabilities across multiple blockchains and asset classes rather than waiting for a single interoperability breakthrough.
From stablecoins and cross-border remittances to ecosystem partnerships and regulatory frameworks, Standard Chartered is preparing for a future where value moves natively across digital networks.
Key themes covered in this episode:
• Institutional digital asset strategy
• Blockchain interoperability in banking
• Stablecoins for cross-border payments
• Remittance transformation through digital assets
• SWIFT and global digital standards
• Regulated crypto infrastructure
• Bank–fintech–crypto partnerships
• Rethinking correspondent banking
With stablecoins enabling 24/7, internet-native value transfer, digital assets are reshaping treasury operations, remittance flows, and cross-border settlement models.
We also examine how large, regulated banks can collaborate with crypto-native firms to expand client solutions while maintaining compliance and capital discipline.
This isn’t just about crypto adoption.
It’s about:
• Modernising correspondent banking
• Reducing cross-border friction
• Enabling 24/7 settlement
• Building interoperable financial systems
• Expanding economic access
• Supporting regulated innovation
• Strengthening global payment networks
If you work in banking, digital assets, fintech, payments, treasury, or financial infrastructure, this video offers practical insight into how major institutions are integrating blockchain and stablecoins into real-world financial services.
Discover how Standard Chartered is shaping its digital asset strategy :
@SibosTV @standardchartered
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