FalconX, headquartered in San Mateo, California, and a digital assets prime brokerage, has partnered with Standard Chartered to enhance crypto services for institutional investors. The collaboration aims to streamline access to digital assets by leveraging Standard Chartered's banking infrastructure and foreign exchange capabilities. FalconX, backed by GIC, Wellington Management, and Tiger Global, and valued at $8 billion, has processed over $1.5 trillion in crypto trades across 400 tokens. The partnership will initially focus on clients in Singapore, with plans to expand to other regions including the U.S. and the Middle East. This move is part of a broader trend of institutional interest in cryptocurrencies, spurred by recent regulatory developments and the approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs in the U.S. FalconX recently acquired crypto derivatives firm Arbelos Markets and executed the first block trade of Solana futures on CME Group. Standard Chartered is actively expanding its crypto operations, having launched custody services in the UAE and a digital asset subsidiary in the EU. The bank anticipates the crypto market to reach $10 trillion by 2026, reflecting its commitment to the sector's growth. Separately, UBS Group, valued at $1 trillion, has reported that its high-net-worth clients in Asia are increasingly shifting their investments away from U.S. dollar assets towards gold, cryptocurrencies, and Chinese assets, according to Amy Lo, Co-Head of Wealth Management for Asia, at a Hong Kong event. This indicates a growing preference for alternative stores of value.