OKX Expands Partnership with Standard Chartered to Strengthen Institutional Digital Asset Trading in Europe
Global cryptocurrency platform OKX has announced the expansion of its partnership with global banking giant Standard Chartered into the European Economic Area (EEA). The move aims to provide institutional investors across Europe with a secure, compliant, and efficient framework for digital asset trading while maintaining custody of their assets with Standard Chartered. This development builds on the firms’ earlier collaboration in the United Arab Emirates and reinforces OKX’s growing institutional presence in regulated jurisdictions.
Institutional-grade custody and collateral mirroring model
The expanded partnership introduces an innovative structure known as “collateral mirroring,” which allows institutional clients to hold digital assets securely with Standard Chartered while maintaining a mirrored balance that can be traded on OKX. This model significantly reduces counterparty risk by keeping assets in custody with a trusted banking institution rather than transferring them directly to an platform. Standard Chartered’s custodial oversight ensures compliance with stringent regulatory standards, while OKX provides deep market liquidity, advanced execution tools, and 24/7 global trading access.
OKX stated that this European expansion aligns with its broader strategy to build a MiCA-compliant framework for digital asset services. The Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation, which came into effect in the European Union, has set new standards for transparency, investor protection, and operational compliance across the crypto industry. By partnering with Standard Chartered, OKX is positioning itself at the intersection of traditional finance and digital asset innovation, offering institutional investors a trustworthy entry point into crypto markets.
Standard Chartered deepens its digital asset footprint
For Standard Chartered, the expansion demonstrates its commitment to supporting the digital asset ecosystem through secure custody and infrastructure partnerships. The bank initially launched its collateral mirroring framework in April 2025, in collaboration with OKX and asset manager Franklin Templeton. The model enables clients to participate in digital asset trading without compromising on security or compliance, providing a foundation for institutional-grade digital finance.
Standard Chartered’s head of digital assets said the expansion into Europe reflects rising demand among financial institutions for transparent, bank-supported access to cryptocurrency markets. With Europe emerging as one of the most forward-looking regulatory environments for crypto, the partnership aims to deliver scalable answers that blend traditional financial secureguards with the innovation of decentralized trading platforms.
The collaboration between OKX and Standard Chartered is expected to enhance institutional confidence in digital asset markets by addressing key concerns around custody, transparency, and regulatory risk. OKX’s managing director of institutional products noted that the partnership allows clients to trade efficiently while retaining full control of their assets under Standard Chartered’s protection.
As institutional participation in crypto accelerates globally, partnerships like this one highlight the sector’s shift toward compliance-first growth. By merging OKX’s advanced trading infrastructure with Standard Chartered’s world-class custodial services, the two firms are setting new benchmarks for securety, transparency, and regulatory alignment in digital asset trading across Europe.
The expansion positions OKX as a leader among platforms catering to institutional clients, offering the liquidity of a top-tier crypto platform combined with the trust and oversight of a major international bank. This partnership marks a defining moment in the evolution of institutional crypto adoption and reinforces Europe’s role as a hub for regulated digital asset innovation.
