SC Ventures, the investment arm of Standard Chartered, has taken a stake in crypto market maker GSR, marking its latest push into the digital asset space.
GSR said Monday that the investment makes SC Ventures its first external strategic shareholder since the firm was founded in 2013.
“We are excited to welcome SC Ventures as a strategic investor and partner,” said Xin Song, adding that the collaboration combines capital markets expertise with banking infrastructure, with a focus on tokenization as a starting point.
The move reflects a broader trend of major financial institutions increasing their exposure to crypto companies and exploring blockchain technology as an alternative to traditional financial systems, driven in part by growing interest in tokenized assets.
“The next phase of digital asset evolution will be shaped by the strength of infrastructure,” said Alex Manson, adding that the investment in GSR underscores SC Ventures’ focus on building institutional ecosystems capable of supporting deeper liquidity and more resilient markets.
GSR said the investment is part of a broader partnership aimed at helping traditional finance firms access crypto markets and expand the use of tokenization.
Last month, GSR also invested in Libeara, a platform backed by SC Ventures that enables financial institutions to issue tokenized assets.
The firms did not disclose further details about the size or terms of the investment.
Standard Chartered has also backed crypto infrastructure company Ripple, while rivals like JPMorgan Chase have built their own blockchain divisions and BNY Mellon now offers crypto custody services.
