British bank Standard Chartered is planning a major move into the field of cryptocurrencies. The bank’s investment division, SC Ventures, intends to launch a new crypto investment fund with a volume of 250 million US dollars in 2026. The aim is to serve the growing institutional interest in digital assets, reports “Bloomberg.”

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Gautam Jain, who is responsible at SC Ventures, explained that the fund will pursue global investment opportunities. “We plan to launch the fund in 2026. Significant investors from the Middle East will support the fund. We will focus on global investment opportunities. In particular, we will be watching companies that hold cryptocurrencies as a long-term treasury investment,” Jain explained.

Standard Chartered Launches Crypto Fund for Bitcoin and Co.

In addition, Jain announced that a $100 million fund for Africa is also to be set up. He left open whether this fund will also invest directly in cryptocurrencies. With this step, Standard Chartered is focusing on a stronger positioning in the area of digital assets. In recent years, the market for cryptocurrencies has gained massive institutional interest, and more and more financial institutions are examining how they can make this asset class accessible to their customers.

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The bank sees long-term opportunities for crypto treasury companies. These firms hold large amounts of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ether, or Solana, sometimes for years, and thus benefit from the growth of the digital markets. SC Ventures wants to specifically monitor these companies and invest in them. Analysts at Standard Chartered continue to predict a rising price for Bitcoin. Geoffrey Kendrick and his team assume that the Bitcoin price could rise to 200,000 US dollars in the long term. This assessment is based on the growing demand from institutional investors and the limited total amount of Bitcoin.

In addition to monitoring existing crypto treasury companies, Standard Chartered emphasizes that the fund will react flexibly to new developments in the area of digital assets. “The coming years will show that more and more institutional capital is flowing into this market. We want to be at the cutting edge of developments at an early stage,” says Jain.

SC Ventures Plans Crypto Fund in Accordance with Regulatory Requirements

With this, Standard Chartered joins the ranks of large banks that are seriously developing the crypto market. While neobanks such as N26, Trade Republic, or Revolut have been enabling trading with cryptocurrencies for some time, access for traditional bank customers has been limited so far. With the new fund, Standard Chartered not only wants to make its own investments, but also give customers the opportunity to participate in the growth of the market.

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The British bank’s move shows that digital assets are increasingly being perceived as a serious asset class. Despite the high volatility of cryptocurrencies, experts believe that long-term strategies – such as through crypto treasury companies – can offer opportunities for stable returns.

SC Ventures plans to launch the fund in accordance with regulatory requirements. The coming years will show how institutional capital affects the crypto sector and what role large financial institutions will play in the further development of Bitcoin, Ether, and other digital assets. (mck)

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