Standard Chartered has expanded its relationship with LMAX Group, appointing the bank as the digital‑asset custodian for the institutional exchange operator through its DFSA‑regulated Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) branch and Standard Chartered Luxembourg S.A.
LMAX Group becomes the first client to onboard to Standard Chartered Luxembourg’s new digital‑asset custody platform, launched following the bank’s Markets in Crypto‑Assets (MiCA) authorisation in June 2026. The move marks a further step in the firms’ collaboration, which began in July when they executed the industry’s first live digital‑asset prime‑brokerage trades by combining Standard Chartered’s banking, credit and custody capabilities with LMAX Group’s regulated market infrastructure.
Under the expanded partnership, Standard Chartered will provide secure, bank‑grade digital‑asset custody to support LMAX Group’s growing institutional client base. The dual appointments in DIFC and Luxembourg give LMAX Group access to regulated custody solutions across two major financial centres, supporting its expansion across the Middle East and Europe.
Ole Matthiessen, global head of transaction services & digital assets at Standard Chartered, said institutional clients increasingly need trusted infrastructure that operates across jurisdictions. “By combining bank‑grade custody in DIFC and Luxembourg with our broader trading and prime‑brokerage capabilities, Standard Chartered is helping to shape a connected, institutionalised digital‑asset ecosystem,” he said. “We are pleased to partner with clients such as LMAX Group as they expand their digital‑asset proposition across markets.”
Margaret Harwood‑Jones, chair of the board at Standard Chartered Luxembourg S.A., said the MiCA authorisation was a milestone in the bank’s European digital‑asset strategy. “We are proud to welcome LMAX Group as the first client to join our Luxembourg platform. This demonstrates the growing demand for trusted, bank‑grade digital‑asset infrastructure operating within a clear regulatory framework,” she said.
LMAX Group CEO David Mercer said Standard Chartered was establishing itself as a leading banking partner for institutional digital‑asset markets. “Following our successful collaboration in digital‑asset prime brokerage, this expanded custody partnership represents a natural next step,” he said. “The combination of their regulated custody capabilities in both the DIFC and Luxembourg provides us, and the industry more broadly, with robust, institutional‑grade infrastructure to support the continued growth of our digital‑asset business.”
Both firms said they are exploring off‑exchange custody models designed to combine bank‑grade safekeeping with seamless access to institutional digital‑asset liquidity. The initiative aims to allow market participants to maintain custody with a regulated institution while accessing trading opportunities, addressing a key requirement for the next phase of institutional adoption.
Standard Chartered and LMAX Group said they remain focused on delivering secure, transparent and scalable market infrastructure that meets institutional governance standards globally.
LMAX Group is a sponsor of Capital Pioneer Digital Assets Summit (DAS), taking place on September 21. The agenda and tickets are available via our dedicated website.
