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Fintech & Digital PaymentsNews|July 2, 2026, 09:46 PM
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Standard Chartered Starts USDC Access From Dubai Without Payment Launch Date

BySendTech Times Fintech DeskNewsroom-edited, source-reviewed coverage
Newsroom brief

Standard Chartered has launched institutional USDC minting and redemption through its Dubai International Financial Centre operations, using Circle’s stablecoin infrastructure. The bank said payment applications are planned later, but did not give launch dates for those services or for expansion into other markets.

Verified against source materialEdited by SendTech Times Fintech DeskSource: Decrypt
Standard Chartered Starts USDC Access From Dubai Without Payment Launch Date
Image source: Decrypt / Shutterstock

Standard Chartered Opens USDC Access Through DIFC

Standard Chartered has launched a service that lets institutional clients mint and redeem USDC through the bank's Dubai International Financial Centre operations, putting a regulated bank between corporate clients and Circle's stablecoin infrastructure.

The bank said the service gives institutions direct access to USDC minting and redemption through one onboarding and service experience.

Clients do not need to hold separate accounts with Circle for that access, according to the launch statement .

The rollout starts in Dubai and is part of what Standard Chartered described as the first phase of a wider stablecoin strategy.

The bank said expansion to other markets will depend on regulatory approval.

Circle Infrastructure Supports Settlement And Treasury Use

Standard Chartered developed the service with Circle, the issuer of USDC.

The bank said the product is aimed at on-chain settlement, treasury operations and liquidity management for institutional clients.

Circle chief commercial officer Kash Razzaghi said financial institutions are looking for trusted ways to access stablecoins and participate in blockchain-enabled markets.

He said the integration brings Circle's regulated stablecoin infrastructure into Standard Chartered's global banking platform.

The bank also said payment applications are planned later.

It did not present the Dubai launch as a retail wallet product or a consumer remittance service.

Bank-Led Stablecoin Access Still Depends On Approvals

Standard Chartered described the service as a bank-led stablecoin access point in a Gulf financial centre.

The current service covers institutional minting and redemption rather than a full set of payments products.

The report said Standard Chartered framed the product as a service connecting fiat banking, digital-asset infrastructure and public blockchain networks.

It also linked the launch to a wider push by banks to build stablecoin infrastructure after new regulatory clarity in major markets.

The public record still lacks payment application launch dates, the next approved markets, client names, transaction volumes or pricing for the Dubai USDC service.

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