May 16, 2025
By Our Correspondent
FalconX, a cryptocurrency prime broker, has announced a strategic partnership with global bank Standard Chartered (STAN.L) to cater to institutional investors in the crypto space.
This collaboration represents FalconX’s inaugural alliance with a traditional global bank, highlighting the increasing institutional interest in digital assets via conventional financial avenues.
FalconX intends to utilize Standard Chartered’s banking and foreign exchange capabilities, which include access to a diverse array of currencies, to better serve its institutional clientele, as stated by Matt Long, FalconX’s general manager for the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions.
He emphasized that this partnership will enable clients to conduct fiat currency settlements more efficiently, resulting in quicker transactions, enhanced capital efficiency, and a reduction in operational risks, according to a report by Reuters.
The California-based firm, which specializes in prime brokerage services for cryptocurrencies, counts among its clients some of the largest asset managers, sovereign wealth funds, hedge funds, and family offices globally.
Standard Chartered has identified the increasing adoption of digital assets by institutional clients as a key factor driving this partnership. Luke Boland, the bank’s Asia head of fintech, noted that the collaboration with FalconX will initially launch in Singapore, with plans for expansion into other regions in Asia, the Middle East, and the United States.
The London-based multinational bank has been actively growing its digital asset operations, having introduced a digital asset custody service in the United Arab Emirates last year and partnered with digital exchange OKX in April to allow institutional clients to use cryptocurrencies as collateral.
In November, the global cryptocurrency market exceeded $3 trillion in value after the election of pro-cryptocurrency Donald Trump as President of the United States, igniting hopes for a prosperous future for digital assets. Standard Chartered anticipates that the total value of digital assets will rise to $10 trillion by 2026.
Established in 2018, FalconX was last appraised at $8 billion after securing $150 million in funding in 2022, with support from investors such as Wellington Management, the Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC, and Tiger Global Management.
