SC Ventures invests in crypto firm GSR at $1b valuation

SC Ventures, Standard Chartered’s venture arm, has invested in GSR, a crypto trading firm.

The deal announced in Singapore on May 5 as the bank expands further into digital assets.

The investment makes SC Ventures GSR’s first external shareholder.

GSR spokesperson said the deal values the firm at more than US$1 billion and it is also seeking up to US$150 million from strategic investors.

Standard Chartered launched a spot crypto trading service last year and is setting up a crypto prime brokerage.

The bank has also backed Zodia Markets and Zodia Custody.

🔗 Source: Bloomberg

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

SC Ventures is adding money to an existing tie-up. GSR recently led a funding round for Libeara, a tokenization platform backed by SC Ventures 1.
GSR is recasting itself as a “Web3 investment bank.” It recently spent US$57 million to buy two advisory firms and build a capital markets platform for groups that issue tokenized assets 2.
Both companies are rooted in Singapore’s regulated market. GSR Markets Pte. Ltd. holds a Major Payment Institution license. Libeara holds a Capital Markets Services license for dealing in capital markets products from the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the country’s financial regulator 1 3.

The deal marks a move beyond custody and trading.
Through GSR, Standard Chartered is backing the plumbing for tokenized assets, including liquidity planning, treasury management, and risk control for companies built around them 2.
The bet also lines up with demand for partners that can handle fragmented infrastructure in tokenized markets 2.
Both firms are pursuing growth in tokenized real-world assets, a priority GSR set out in its 2026 industry outlook 4.