SC Ventures
SC Ventures is a unit in Standard Chartered to promote innovation, invest in disruptive financial technology and exploring alternative business models.
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Standard Chartered Signs Final Agreement to Acquire Zodia Custody, Plans to Spin Off Software Business
Standard Chartered has signed a final agreement to acquire 100% equity of crypto asset custody institution Zodia Custody, with the transaction still pending regulatory approval. Under the arrangement, Zodia Custody's custody business will be integrated into Standard Chartered, while its software business will be transferred to a standalone company backed by SC Ventures, the venture capital arm of Standard Chartered. (The Block)
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OKX Star: Will work with partners like Circle on stablecoins, payments, institutional markets, and next-generation financial infrastructure
Odaily News: OKX Star posted that it is a great honor to have Circle, Ripple, QRT, and SC Ventures become investors in OKX. OKX did not raise funds because it lacked capital, but rather chose to bring in strategic partners who share a common long-term vision, working together on stablecoins, payments, institutional markets, and the development of next-generation financial infrastructure. Thirteen years have passed, and we are still in the early stages, with many more goals to achieve in the future.
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OKX Star: Introducing strategic investors is not driven by funding needs, but rather focuses on long-term cooperation.
OKX founder and CEO Star Xu confirmed via a post on X that Circle, Ripple, and Standard Chartered Bank's investment arm SC Ventures have become investors in OKX. Star Xu stated that OKX did not introduce these investors out of funding needs, but rather to collaborate with strategic partners who share its long-term vision to advance stablecoins, payments, institutional markets, and next-generation financial infrastructure. Previously, Bloomberg reported that OKX’s valuation in this financing round reached $25 billion. The company has yet to disclose the exact funding amount.
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Yellow Card completes $40 million strategic funding round with participation from SC Ventures and others
Odaily News: Yellow Card announced the completion of a $40 million strategic funding round, with participation from SC Ventures, Sony Innovation Fund, Polychain Capital, Blockchain Capital, and other strategic investors. The project primarily provides stablecoin infrastructure, and the funds from this round will be used to expand its enterprise-facing end-to-end dollar accounts, Global USD Accounts, and to extend stablecoin rails connecting global markets.
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RL1 Blockchain Network Launches Operations, Underlying Platform Processes Over €700 Million in Transactions in Three Years
Odaily Planet Daily: Ten European financial institutions have jointly launched Regulated Layer One (RL1), a network established as a European Cooperative in Luxembourg that has commenced operations, targeting regulated financial markets and tokenized assets. RL1 founding members include ABN AMRO, Cecabank, Chartered Investment, Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale, DekaBank, DZ BANK, LBBW, Natixis CIB, SC Ventures, and Seturion. RL1 stated that each member holds equal decision-making power over the network's governance and development. This permissioned private network is built on infrastructure developed by German fintech company Secure Worldwide Interbank Asset Transfer (SWIAT), which has transferred ownership of the network to the cooperative. SWIAT stated that during its three-year production phase, the platform processed over 50 transactions with a total value exceeding €700 million. RL1's intended use cases include digital currencies, tokenized bonds, collateral, and blockchain-based settlement. RL1 will be led by former SWIAT Managing Director Henning Vollbehr. KfW and L-Bank will continue to support the initiative, and RL1 is in discussions with additional institutions such as NatWest regarding joining the network.
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GSR Receives FINRA Approval to Complete Broker-Dealer Acquisition, Accelerating Expansion of Institutional Crypto Business in the U.S.
According to The Block, crypto market maker GSR has received approval from the U.S. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) to formally complete its acquisition of Portland-based SEC-registered broker-dealer Equilibrium Capital Services, which has now been renamed GSR Securities. Xin Song, CEO of GSR, stated that this acquisition will strengthen its compliant broker-dealer platform in the U.S., with a focus on serving institutional clients. GSR previously disclosed plans to position its business as a “Web3 investment bank”; following the acquisition, it will further expand its tokenized financing services. Additionally, GSR has been highly active this year: in April, it launched the GSR Crypto Core3 ETF on Nasdaq; in March, it acquired token advisory firms Autonomous and Architech, and invested in Libeara—the tokenization platform under SC Ventures; last month, SC Ventures—the fintech investment arm of Standard Chartered Bank—became GSR’s first external shareholder and completed its investment.
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Keyrock to Acquire Bankrupt Crypto Lender BlockFills for $3.25 Million, Subject to Court Approval
According to CoinDesk, Belgian digital asset services firm Keyrock plans to acquire bankrupt crypto trading and lending company BlockFills for $3.25 million. Keyrock has already been designated the “successful bidder” by the court, and final approval of the deal is pending at a hearing scheduled for June 16, 2026. BlockFills filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March this year under its parent company, Reliz Ltd., reporting liabilities between $100 million and $500 million, while holding assets valued at only $50 million to $100 million. This acquisition would grant Keyrock access to BlockFills’ institutional client network—including hedge funds, asset management firms, market makers, and mining companies—as well as its proprietary technology and intellectual property. BlockFills processed over $60 billion in trading volume in 2025 and served approximately 2,000 institutional clients. Keyrock previously completed its Series C funding round, led by SC Ventures, the investment arm of Standard Chartered Bank, achieving a valuation of $1.1 billion.
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Standard Chartered's venture arm, SC Ventures, invests in crypto market maker GSR at a valuation exceeding $1 billion
SC Ventures, the venture capital arm of Standard Chartered, has invested in GSR, a crypto trading and market-making firm, valuing it at over $1 billion in this round. Founded in 2013 by former Goldman Sachs traders, GSR is currently in talks with strategic investors for further financing, potentially raising up to $150 million to expand its business operations.This investment marks SC Ventures' first time becoming an external shareholder of GSR. The two parties plan to collaborate on integrating traditional finance with the crypto market and enhancing the accessibility of tokenized products. GSR's business encompasses crypto trading, market making, advisory services, asset management, and venture capital. (Bloomberg)
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Standard Chartered’s SC Ventures makes strategic investment in GSR, becoming its first external shareholder
This investment further strengthens the partnership established between the two companies last month. GSR previously invested in Libeara, a tokenization platform backed by SC Ventures, as a key move to expand its crypto capital markets business. Earlier this year, GSR also acquired Autonomous and Architech to broaden its token lifecycle management services. Recently, GSR launched its first fund—the GSR Crypto Core3 ETF—the industry’s first actively managed, multi-asset crypto fund to enable staking.
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