Dubai: Standard Chartered today announced the launch of its capability enabling institutional clients to access USDC minting and redemption, developed in partnership with Circle Internet Group, Inc. (Circle), the issuer of USDC through its regulated entities.
According to Emirates News Agency, the launch makes Standard Chartered the first Global Systemically Important Bank (G-SIB) licensed to offer institutional clients integrated access to USDC minting and redemption through a single onboarding and service experience, without requiring clients to hold direct accounts with Circle.
The new capability allows institutions to transfer value across traditional and digital financial ecosystems with increased speed and transparency by linking fiat banking, digital asset infrastructure, and public blockchain networks within a unified, bank-led solution. This supports institutional use cases such as on-chain settlement, treasury, and liquidity management, and provides the infrastructure for payment-related use cases in the future.
By integrating USDC access directly within Standard Chartered's institutional offering, the bank combines banking, custody, and digital asset services into one comprehensive offering, delivered through the risk management, compliance, and governance standards expected of a leading international financial institution.
Initially, this service will be available to eligible clients through Standard Chartered's DIFC operations, thereby reinforcing the UAE's position as a leading hub for regulated digital asset activity. This move represents the first phase of Standard Chartered's broader global stablecoin proposition, with plans to expand the capability into additional markets subject to regulatory approvals and market readiness.
The announcement underscores the growing demand from financial institutions and corporations for regulated stablecoin infrastructure to support a range of financial activities, including payments, treasury management, settlement, liquidity management, and participation in digital asset markets.
Roberto Hoornweg, Chief Executive Officer, Corporate and Investment Banking at Standard Chartered, highlighted the increasing significance of digital assets in global financial infrastructure. He emphasized the need for institutional clients to have the same levels of trust and governance as traditional markets and stated that this launch extends those standards into a rapidly evolving financial segment.
Kash Razzaghi, Chief Commercial Officer at Circle, noted that financial institutions are seeking trusted ways to access stablecoins and participate in blockchain-enabled financial markets. By incorporating Circle's regulated stablecoin infrastructure into Standard Chartered's global banking platform, institutions can access new opportunities to use USDC across payments, settlement, and treasury operations while upholding the compliance, governance, and risk management standards they expect.
