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Standard Chartered's SC Ventures to Launch $250M Digital Asset Fund

Standard Chartered's SC Ventures to Launch $250M Digital Asset Fund

SC Ventures, part of Standard Chartered, revealed at Money 20/20 Riyadh plans for a $250 million global digital asset fund by 2026, alongside Africa and venture debt initiatives, underscoring its expanding fintech and crypto strategy.

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Fact Check
Multiple provided sources from Phemex consistently and explicitly state that SC Ventures plans to launch a $250M digital asset fund by 2026. The articles mention the announcement was made at the Money 20/20 conference and will have Middle Eastern backing, which is consistent with other evidence showing SC Ventures' activity in the UAE's digital asset sector.
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Summary

SC Ventures, Standard Chartered’s innovation arm, confirmed it will raise $250 million for a digital asset fund in 2026 with support from Middle Eastern investors. Operating partner Gautam Jain disclosed the plan at Money 20/20 in Riyadh, noting the fund will target blockchain, tokenization, and regulated digital asset opportunities. The unit is also launching a $100 million Africa-focused fund and exploring its first venture debt initiative. SC Ventures opened operations in Saudi Arabia in January 2025 and aims to establish a domestic Saudi fund by 2026. The announcement follows Standard Chartered’s recent advances, including launching regulated spot Bitcoin and Ethereum trading in the UK, tokenization efforts via its Libeara platform, a Hong Kong dollar-backed stablecoin partnership, and securing crypto custody licenses in Luxembourg and Dubai.

Terms & Concepts
  • Digital Asset: A digital representation of value that can be digitally traded and functions as a medium of exchange, unit of account, or store of value.
  • Tokenization: The process of converting ownership rights to an asset into a digital token on a blockchain.
  • Blockchain Technology: A decentralized digital ledger technology used to record transactions across multiple computers in a secure and transparent manner.