Standard Chartered has signed definitive agreements to acquire 100% of Zodia Custody, the digital asset custodian it helped create through its venture arm, SC Ventures. The signing, confirmed on October 21, 2026, follows Zodia shareholders’ acceptance of the bank’s non-binding offer on May 18, 2026. Regulatory approvals and standard closing conditions remain outstanding, and no financial terms were disclosed.
Deal structure
The acquisition divides Zodia into two parts. Zodia Custody’s regulated custody operations will be integrated into Standard Chartered’s Financing and Securities Services division, which already provides safekeeping and servicing of traditional securities for institutional clients. The software and infrastructure side will become a new entity called Zodia Solutions, expected to operate independently and offer its services to a broader range of financial institutions.
From joint venture to full ownership
Zodia Custody launched in 2020 as a joint venture between SC Ventures and Northern Trust. Over time, SC Ventures came to hold nearly 70% of the company, with the remainder held by minority investors including Northern Trust, SBI Holdings, Emirates NBD, and National Australia Bank. A 2023 financing round associated with Zodia Custody saw SBI Holdings raise $36 million. Zodia built a licensed footprint across the UK, the EU, the UAE, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Australia.
Standard Chartered’s broader digital asset push
In 2025, the bank secured a MiCA license in Luxembourg. MiCA is the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets framework, the rulebook crypto firms must follow to operate across the bloc. Standard Chartered also plans to launch institutional custody services in Singapore by the end of 2026, expected to cover various digital assets as well as tokenized assets—traditional instruments represented on a blockchain. Bringing Zodia’s regulated operations inside the bank consolidates licenses, client relationships, and operational expertise under one corporate structure.
What this means
For institutional investors, the most direct implication is that a global bank will hold digital assets on its own balance sheet of responsibility, rather than through an affiliated but separate company. The creation of Zodia Solutions is a notable wrinkle: by keeping the infrastructure business independent, Standard Chartered may be trying to own the client-facing custody relationships while still selling the underlying technology to other institutions. The acquisition still needs approval, and Zodia operates under licenses in six jurisdictions. The Singapore launch planned for the end of 2026 will offer an early test of how Standard Chartered combines its in-house build with Zodia’s existing operations, covering digital assets and tokenized assets.
