Zodia Custody has secured a Payment Institution licence from Luxembourg’s Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier, adding a second key European authorization that allows the firm to offer regulated custody and transfer services for stablecoins across the European Union.
Summary
- Zodia Custody has obtained a Luxembourg payment institution licence, allowing regulated custody and transfer of stablecoins across the EU.
- The approval complements Zodia’s existing MiCA licence and expands its services for institutional clients managing crypto assets and EMTs.
- The licence comes as Standard Chartered moves forward with plans to integrate Zodia’s regulated custody business into its digital asset operations.
According to a press release shared with crypto.news, the new approval enables Zodia Custody (Europe) S.A. to extend its institutional custody platform to Electronic Money Tokens (EMTs), the category of stablecoins recognized under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation.
The licence builds on the company’s existing MiCA Crypto-Asset Service Provider licence, which Zodia received in December 2025. Together, the two authorizations allow institutions to custody crypto assets and transfer EMTs within a regulated framework across the bloc.
Institutional demand drives stablecoin infrastructure
As stablecoins take on a larger role in settlement, liquidity management, and treasury functions, Zodia said the combined regulatory framework removes the need for institutions to rely on multiple providers for custody and transfer services.
“Securing Payment Institution licence alongside our MiCA CASP authorisation is a critical step in bridging our capabilities across crypto asset safekeeping. With both licenses in place, our clients have the certainty they need to manage their EMT and crypto asset strategies across Europe, with full confidence that their assets are safeguarded within a bank-grade environment.” – Ami Nagata, Managing Director, Luxembourg at Zodia Custody Europe.
Zodia said the dual-licence structure reduces operational fragmentation and counterparty exposure that can arise when institutions use separate providers for crypto custody and stablecoin transfers. The company added that the ability to custody and transfer EMTs is becoming an essential component of institutional digital asset infrastructure.
Founded in 2020, Zodia Custody serves institutional clients and counts Standard Chartered, Northern Trust, SBI Holdings, Emirates NBD, and National Australia Bank among its shareholders and investors.
Licence arrives as Standard Chartered moves to absorb Zodia
The latest authorization comes as Standard Chartered continues work on bringing Zodia’s custody operations closer to its own digital asset business.
Earlier this year, Bloomberg reported that the bank was considering integrating Zodia Custody into its Corporate and Investment Bank division, a move designed to consolidate overlapping custody operations.
Bloomberg later reported in May that Standard Chartered’s non-binding offer had been accepted, with Zodia’s regulated custody activities expected to become part of the bank’s digital asset custody business.
According to reports, Zodia would continue operating certain services as a white-label platform for banks and fintech firms while institutional client-facing custody functions move inside Standard Chartered’s infrastructure.
The bank has steadily expanded its digital asset footprint in recent years. Standard Chartered launched crypto custody services in Luxembourg in January 2025 and later introduced institutional spot crypto trading through its Corporate and Investment Bank division. The lender has also pursued initiatives spanning stablecoins, digital asset trading, and crypto prime brokerage.
Alongside its European approvals, Zodia holds regulatory authorizations and permissions in the UK, UAE, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Australia, according to the company. The Luxembourg licence adds another regulated market to the firm’s network as competition among institutional crypto custody providers continues to intensify.
