Key Takeaways
- SC Ventures plans a $250 million digital asset fund, with fundraising expected next year and a 2026 launch.
- The vehicle targets digital asset opportunities within financial services and is expected to receive backing from Middle East investors.
- In parallel, SC Ventures is preparing a $100 million Africa fund and is weighing its first venture debt offering.
- The move extends Standard Chartered’s multiyear expansion in digital assets, from the launch of Zodia Custody in 2020 to UK crypto spot trading in July 2025.
SC Ventures, the innovation and investment unit of Standard Chartered, is preparing to launch a $250 million fund focused on digital assets, with fundraising expected to begin next year.
The fund will target digital asset opportunities within the financial services sector and is expected to receive backing from Middle East investors, according to SC Ventures operating partner Gautam Jain, as reported by Bloomberg.
Set to go live in 2026, the fund marks the firm’s latest move to expand its presence in emerging financial technologies.
In parallel with the digital asset vehicle, SC Ventures is also planning a $100 million fund dedicated to investments in Africa and is weighing the launch of its first venture debt fund, Jain said.
From custody to trading, Standard Chartered’s expansion in digital assets
Standard Chartered’s push into digital assets began in 2020 when SC Ventures and Northern Trust unveiled Zodia Custody for institutional investors. The venture secured registration from the UK Financial Conduct Authority in July 2021, placing a regulated frame around the bank’s early move into digital asset safekeeping.
In 2021 the group broadened its footprint with the creation of Zodia Markets, an institution focused digital asset brokerage. The Abu Dhabi Global Market granted the platform in principle approval in September 2023 and a Financial Services Permission in December 2024, establishing a regulated base in the Gulf.
Through 2023 and 2024 the bank shifted from pilots to live services. SC Ventures introduced Libeara in November 2023 to support tokenisation of investment funds. In September 2024 Standard Chartered launched digital asset custody in the United Arab Emirates and on boarded Brevan Howard Digital as the first client.
The progression culminated in July 2025 when the bank began spot trading in Bitcoin and Ether for institutional clients via its UK branch and said it was preparing to add non deliverable forwards.
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