Standard Chartered, a leading global bank, has entered into a strategic alliance with crypto prime broker FalconX, marking FalconX’s inaugural partnership with a traditional international bank. This collaboration is indicative of the rising institutional interest in digital assets via traditional financial pathways.
FalconX plans to utilise Standard Chartered’s banking and forex services, including its extensive currency portfolio, to enhance its offerings to institutional clients, according to Matt Long, FalconX’s APAC & Middle East General Manager. “By enabling more efficient fiat currency settlements, our clients will experience quicker settlements, improved capital efficiency, and significantly reduced operational risk,” Long explained to Reuters.
FalconX, a California-based firm specializing in crypto-focused prime-brokerage services, boasts clients ranging from some of the largest global asset managers and sovereign wealth funds, to hedge funds and family offices. The primary motivator behind Standard Chartered’s partnership with FalconX is the increased adoption of digital assets by its institutional clients.
Luke Boland, Asia’s head of fintech at Standard Chartered, revealed that the partnership with FalconX will kick off in Singapore and then expand to other countries in Asia, the Middle East, and the United States. The bank, headquartered in Hong Kong, has been progressively broadening its digital asset operations. It launched a digital asset custody service in the United Arab Emirates last year and collaborated with digital exchange OKX in April to allow institutional clients to use cryptocurrencies as collateral.
Following the election of crypto-friendly Donald Trump as U.S. president, the global cryptocurrency market surpassed $3 trillion in market value in November. This has sparked hopes of a golden era for digital assets. Standard Chartered predicts the overall value of digital assets will reach $10 trillion by 2026.
Founded in 2018, FalconX was last valued at $8 billion after a $150 million funding round in 2022. Its backers include Wellington Management, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC, and Tiger Global Management.
