OKX Partners with Standard Chartered into the European Economic Area
- OKX expands its Standard Chartered partnership into the EEA, linking custody and trading.
- The partnership bridges traditional banking security with blockchain innovation for investors.
- The model lets institutions trade on OKX while Standard Chartered holds their digital assets.
OKX is expanding its partnership with Standard Chartered Bank into the European Economic Area (EEA). The expansion builds on a program first introduced in the United Arab Emirates earlier this year. It allows institutional clients to trade on OKX while keeping their assets safely held by Standard Chartered. The partnership combines traditional banking security with digital trading flexibility. It creates a regulated model that aligns crypto operations with established financial standards.
Bridging Custody and Trading
The partnership introduces a collateral mirroring system for institutional clients. It allows clients to keep crypto with Standard Chartered while mirroring those assets into OKX for trading. Standard Chartered, a Global Systemically Important Bank, provides secure custody through its regulated banking infrastructure. The system helps institutions to trade without transferring their assets to an exchange.
This approach separates trading and custody, reducing counterparty risk and boosting investor confidence. It follows growing concerns about holding funds directly on exchanges after events like the 2022 FTX collapse. Many institutions now seek safer custody options with regulated entities.
OKX said this model enhances security and improves trading efficiency for professional investors. Clients gain liquidity access while maintaining control of their digital assets. It gives institutions the ability to operate under stronger safeguards and clear regulatory oversight.
OKX Europe CEO Erald Ghoos said the expansion supports institutional demand for secure, compliant trading frameworks. He added that the partnership delivers bank-grade protection and transparency. It combines custody strength with exchange accessibility, improving trust between crypto firms and traditional finance.
Expanding Into a Regulated Market
The move coincides with OKX’s growing presence under Europe’s MiCA regulatory framework. Earlier this year, the company secured a MiCA license in Malta. The license allows OKX to provide regulated services to clients across all European Economic Area jurisdictions.
Ghoos said Standard Chartered remains the only Global Systemically Important Bank working directly with a crypto exchange. He emphasized that the partnership demonstrates increasing regulatory trust in compliant crypto models. The collaboration shows how banks and exchanges can operate together safely in a regulated environment.
Standard Chartered’s Global Head of Financing and Securities Services, Margaret Harwood-Jones, said the partnership combines strong banking infrastructure with OKX’s regulatory framework. She added that both companies aim to deliver secure and transparent digital asset solutions for institutional clients in Europe.
The service allows the institutions to invest capital with confidence while their assets remain under strict regulatory protection. It offers continuous access to trading liquidity without security compromise. Institutional investors are able to trade anytime while retaining control over their holdings.
Related: OKX Enforces Strict AML Controls on Huione Group Activity
A Step Forward for Institutional Adoption
The collaboration follows OKX’s previous partnership. In 2024, OKX and Komainu partnered to provide a comparable custody solution. The strategy keeps trading and custody apart to reduce exchange-related risks. Similar models have also been investigated by other exchanges, such as Deribit and Binance. However, OKX’s collaboration with a globally significant bank gives it a unique advantage.
The new expansion aims to enhance institutional involvement in the digital asset markets across Europe. It enhances transparency, safety, and compliance with high levels of operational efficiency. The collaboration assists in creating a framework in which crypto and traditional finance can collaborate effectively.
For OKX, the expansion represents a long-term commitment to Europe’s regulated crypto environment. The partnership offers the trust of traditional banking with the innovation of blockchain technology.
