Standard Chartered announced on Wednesday that it has finalized a strategic banking deal to expand crypto payment services in the UAE. The banking giant has teamed up with Dubai-based crypto exchange CoinMENA FZE to integrate traditional banking services with digital assets like cryptocurrencies and stablecoins under UAE’s regulatory oversight.
Under the partnership, Standard Chartered will open its banking capabilities for CoinMENA FZE’s clients converting between fiat and crypto. The UAE-based users of the exchange will be allowed to use the British bank’s high-speed settlement channels and virtual account systems for quicker transaction speeds and better transparency.
In a statement shared with The Coin Headlines, Standard Chartered said that the initiative is aimed at scaling the liquidity management in the UAE where TradFi institutions have clear regulatory guidelines to explore digital asset integrations.
“The UAE provides a leading regulatory framework for digital assets. Trusted banking
infrastructure is essential to support the long-term maturity and development of this sector,” said Rola Abu Manneh, Chief Executive Officer for the UAE, Middle East, and Pakistan at Standard Chartered.
For CoinMENA FZE, the development gives it a solid backing from a TradFi banking major. Those in the UAE who prefer to explore digital assets through a trusted ecosystem could tap the CoinMENA platform because of its partnership with Standard Chartered.
CoinMENA FZE launched its operations in Dubai back in December 2023 after obtaining the a broker-dealer licence from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA). The company’s parent brand, CoinMENA B.S.C., was originally founded in 2020 and launched its crypto trading platform in early 2021 out of Bahrain.
The company has been expanding its digital footprint outside of Bahrain for a while now. Last year in December, Turkish digital asset platform Paribu acquired a majority stake in CoinMENA for reportedly up to $240 million. This gave Paribu an entry into the MENA market.
Prior to that in September 2025, CoinMENA teamed up with UAE’s first AI-powered digital bank Zand to let clients across the MENA region easily move funds between their Zand back accounts and CoinMENA wallets.
Dina Sam’an and Talal Tabbaa, the co-founders of the CoinMena group believe that newer technologies like digital assets do need a connect with reliable banking and regu;atory ecosystems to build a strong future going forward.
