Core Insights - Digital asset exchange OKX and Standard Chartered have expanded their institutional partnership to the European Economic Area (EEA), allowing institutional clients to access a regulated framework for trading digital assets [1] Group 1: Partnership and Regulatory Framework - The partnership enables clients to hold digital assets with Standard Chartered as a regulated custodian, with holdings mirrored as collateral on the OKX platform, addressing counterparty risk for institutional investors [2] - The regulated environment is established under OKX's Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) license, covering nine of ten service categories, positioning the exchange as a fully regulated operator in the EU [3] - The expansion into Europe follows a successful launch in the UAE, accumulating over $100 million in assets under custody since its debut [4] Group 2: Client Engagement and Market Demand - The service has onboarded notable clients, including Brevan Howard Digital, indicating strong demand for secure and regulated pathways for institutional engagement with digital assets [5] - Standard Chartered's collaboration is part of a broader strategy to integrate digital assets into its services, including launching a crypto trading desk for institutional clients [6] Group 3: Future Developments and Innovations - The bank is exploring areas of the Web3 ecosystem, including tokenized money initiatives, while OKX is enhancing its platform with the recent X Layer upgrade to optimize performance for DeFi applications [7] - The extension of the partnership provides a structured and secure solution for institutional clients in the EEA to participate in the digital asset market [8]