Standard Chartered Zodia Custody Deal Moves From Offer To Contract

The Standard Chartered Zodia Custody deal has moved from a non-binding offer to signed contracts. The bank said on October 21 that it entered definitive agreements to buy the crypto custodian. Zodia's shareholders and noteholders had accepted the earlier offer five months before.

What the Standard Chartered Zodia Custody agreements cover

Under the agreements, a Standard Chartered entity called Standard Chartered I H Limited will acquire 100 per cent of Zodia Custody Limited. That company is the parent of Zodia's regulated operating entities in Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, the United Arab Emirates and Luxembourg. Closing still depends on regulatory approvals and customary conditions.

Opening paragraphs of the October 21 release. Source: Standard Chartered press release.

After completion, Zodia's regulated custody business folds into the bank's existing digital asset custody activities within Securities Services. The bank says this consolidates its custody businesses and unlocks revenue synergies. It also wants a unified client offering that covers both traditional and digital asset securities services for institutions worldwide.

Zodia Custody describes itself in the release as a digital asset custodian serving institutional clients globally through bank-grade infrastructure. The bank is listed in London and Hong Kong and says it has a presence in 55 markets. Clients are told to expect no disruption, and existing Zodia customers continue to be served as usual.

Zodia Solutions leaves with its own owners

Zodia does not move over whole. Its digital asset software and professional services arm is split off. It passes to Zodia Solutions, a new independent entity under SC Ventures, the bank's venture arm. Zodia Solutions will keep supplying bank-grade infrastructure to financial institutions, Standard Chartered among them.

Seven backers are named for Zodia Solutions. They are NAB Ventures, Northern Trust, SBI Ventures Asset, Q Studio Restricted (Further Ventures) and Emirates NBD. Zodia Investments (Investcorp) and Zodia Holdings, which SC Ventures owns, complete the list. May mentioned only "a number of bank investors, including existing Zodia Custody investors," so the October release is more specific.

Standard Chartered Zodia Custody offer versus contract

Setting the two releases side by side shows small shifts. The May announcement, dated May 18, said the deal would unlock "revenue and cost synergies." October says "revenue synergies" in the same sentence. May also described Zodia's separated unit as an institutional digital asset infrastructure platform business. October calls it a software and professional services business.

The May 18 release, with its reference to revenue and cost synergies. Source: Standard Chartered press release, 18 May 2026.

October also adds a list of five jurisdictions. May named none.

What Standard Chartered says about Zodia

Ying Ying Tan runs Securities Services and Digital Assets at Standard Chartered. She called the purchase a way to deepen the bank's custody portfolio, with institutional-grade custody backed by a cross-border bank. Zodia Solutions, per the release, is meant for institutions that are moving beyond digital asset pilots toward running services at scale. Completion of the Standard Chartered Zodia Custody purchase now waits on regulatory approvals, which the release lists among the closing conditions together with customary terms.