Update Sept. 16, 11:33 am UTC: This article has been updated to clarify that SC Ventures is launching a digital asset fund, not a crypto fund.
Update Sept. 16, 1:38 pm UTC: This article has been updated to include comments from an SC Ventures representative.
Standard Chartered’s venture arm is preparing to launch a $250 million digital asset investment fund in 2026, signaling growing institutional appetite for digital assets.
Standard Chartered’s SC Ventures plans to raise the capital to open the investment fund focused on digital assets in the financial services sector, Bloomberg reported Monday, citing operating partner Gautam Jain.
Set to launch in 2026, the fund will be backed by Middle East investors, with a focus on global investment opportunities, Jain told Bloomberg.
SC Ventures’ plan follows a wave of corporate treasury firms building long-term accumulation strategies, adding to expectations that more institutional inflows may enter the crypto market over the next several years.
“Digital assets continue to be a high conviction theme for SC Ventures, evidenced through its digital asset-native ventures: Libeara, Zodia Markets, Zodia Custody and our existing digital asset investments,” a representative from SC Ventures told Cointelegraph, adding:
“We are continually evaluating opportunities in the digital asset space, whether it is through investments made directly or through JVs.”
In addition to digital asset opportunities, the firm is also “evaluating opportunities in dynamic regions, like the Middle East and Africa,” the representative added.
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SC Ventures to launch $100 million Africa investment fund
Separate from the $250 million digital asset fund, SV Ventures also plans to launch a $100 million fund for African investments, while also considering its first venture debt fund, according to Jain.
He didn’t specify whether those funds would include or focus on cryptocurrencies and financial technology.
The news came shortly after Standard Chartered raised concerns over the falling market net asset value (mNAV) of digital asset treasury (DAT) firms, which measures the ratio of a company’s enterprise value to its cryptocurrency holdings.
Standard Chartered warned that numerous high-profile treasury firms have recently slipped below the critical one mNAV level, which signals that it is becoming harder for companies to issue new shares and accumulate cryptocurrencies, Cointelegraph reported on Monday.
“The recent collapse in DAT mNAVs will likely drive differentiation and market consolidation,” Standard Chartered said. “Differentiation will favour the largest in breed, cheapest funders and those with staking yield,” flashing an optimistic sign for large firms like Strategy and Bitmine, who can still raise capital through issuing low-cost debt.
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The $250 million fund is the latest signal of growing corporate appetite for cryptocurrencies beyond Bitcoin (BTC).
On Monday, Nasdaq-listed Helius Medical Technologies announced the launch of a $500 million corporate treasury reserve with the Solana (SOL) token as the main reserve asset.
The firm pledged to “significantly scale” its Solana holdings over the next 12 to 24 months, signaling more institutional capital flowing into altcoins.
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