Standard Chartered has advanced its planned acquisition of Zodia Custody from an accepted non-binding offer to definitive agreements. The bank would acquire 100% of Zodia Custody Limited, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.
The transaction brings regulated digital-asset custody businesses in Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, the United Arab Emirates and Luxembourg under a global bank. Zodia’s infrastructure business, Zodia Solutions, is being separated and will continue independently, according to the company’s earlier transaction announcement.
The move follows delays in the original timetable. The Block reported that definitive documentation had initially been targeted for June and closing for August. Signing resolves the document stage, not regulatory completion.
Standard Chartered is also building custody capability directly. The bank has announced plans for a Singapore service before the end of 2026, while Zodia obtained a Luxembourg payment-institution license in June for regulated stablecoin custody and transfers across the European Union. Combining those operations could create a single institutional custody platform spanning several major regulatory centers.
The price and financial terms were not disclosed. Existing clients are expected to continue receiving service, but the bank has not yet published an integration schedule, asset list or jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction operating model.
TOKEN RECON ASSESSMENT
The definitive agreement is the material update. Standard Chartered is choosing ownership of regulated custody infrastructure rather than a limited distribution partnership. Completion would place private-key control, stablecoin transfers and institutional asset servicing inside the bank’s balance of regulatory obligations. Approval decisions in each operating jurisdiction, the separation of Zodia Solutions and evidence of uninterrupted client service will determine whether the acquisition creates a coherent global platform or a collection of local licenses.
Sources
Zodia Custody: Transaction structure and separation of Zodia Solutions
The Block: Standard Chartered signs definitive Zodia Custody agreements
