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Standard Chartered has become the first global systemically important bank licensed to give institutional clients integrated access to USDC minting and redemption, the bank announced July 2, in partnership with stablecoin issuer Circle.
The capability lets eligible clients mint and redeem USDC through a single onboarding process, without needing to open a direct account with Circle.
The service connects fiat banking, digital asset infrastructure and public blockchain networks within one bank-led system. Standard Chartered says it is built to support on-chain settlement, treasury operations and liquidity management for institutional clients, with payment-related use cases planned for the future.
The launch is initially limited to eligible clients through Standard Chartered’s Dubai International Financial Centre operations. The bank describes this as the first phase of a broader global stablecoin strategy, with expansion into other markets dependent on regulatory approval.
A G-SIB, a global systemically important bank, subject to the highest tier of international regulatory oversight, offering direct USDC access marks a shift from crypto-native stablecoin distribution toward infrastructure embedded inside traditional banking.
Standard Chartered frames the move as extending established banking-grade governance and compliance standards into stablecoin markets.
Roberto Hoornweg, Standard Chartered’s CEO of corporate and investment banking, said the launch is about enabling broader institutional participation in digital asset markets through established regulatory frameworks.
Circle chief commercial officer Kash Razzaghi said the partnership gives institutions a trusted route into blockchain-enabled financial markets while preserving compliance standards.
The deal extends Standard Chartered’s existing digital assets strategy across banking, markets, securities services, custody and digital market infrastructure.
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