LMAX, StanChart Complete Live Digital Asset Prime Brokerage Trades

LMAX Group and Standard Chartered (LON: STAN) executed the first live trades under a digital asset prime brokerage model. The pilot covered spot Bitcoin and Ether. Settlement ran on a T+1 cycle through Standard Chartered's UK branch.

The prime brokerage structure gives institutional clients a single gateway to trade crypto across multiple venues. Standard Chartered handles custody and settlement. LMAX Group provides access to its LMAX Digital exchange, a regulated platform for institutional crypto trading.

T+1 settlement matches the standard in U.S. equities markets. That reduces counterparty risk compared to unsecured models where trades settle on blockchain finality but require prefunding. Clients can trade from a single pool of collateral without managing separate accounts on each exchange.

Standard Chartered is one of the few global banks offering integrated crypto custody and trading services. The execution follows its expansion into digital assets through its Zodia custody unit.