SC Ventures, Standard Chartered’s innovation, fintech investment and ventures arm, has made a strategic investment in One Trading, a leading European crypto-asset exchange.
As part of this round, existing investor MiddleGame Ventures increased its stake in One Trading, while Valar and SpeedInvest also participated. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Joshua Barraclough, founder and CEO of One Trading, said: “As a major, multinational bank with a commitment to innovation, SC Ventures is dedicated to driving digital assets market infrastructure. We welcome them as an investor in the company and believe they can add a lot of value to One Trading and our clients.”
One Trading will use the investment to support launching the first crypto perpetual futures in the European Union (EU) as a MiFID II trading venue. The MiFID II is a regulatory framework the EU rolled out in 2018 to increase transparency and improve investor protections across European financial markets. In July 2024, the Dutch financial market regulator granted One Trading an Organised Trading Facility (OTF) licence, which established One Trading as a MiFID II trading venue.
First regulated derivatives exchange in Europe accessible to retail clients
With the OTF licence approval, One Trading is the only crypto perpetual futures trading venue in the EU and the first cash-settled perpetual platform in Europe, including the UK. One Trading is also the first regulated derivatives exchange in Europe which will be accessible to retail clients.
The OTF licence approval marks a milestone in One Trading's multi-year journey with the Dutch Financial Markets Authority (AFM) and the Dutch Central Bank (DNB) to revolutionise derivatives trading and bring crypto futures onshore in the EU.
Strategic partnerships
“Financial innovation should not come at the cost of consumer protection, that’s why we are glad to see One Trading receiving the OTF licence. We congratulate the team on becoming the first MiFID II trading venue for crypto perpetual futures in the EU,” said Alex Manson, CEO of SC Ventures. “We look forward to One Trading providing much-needed infrastructure to all participants in the EU and further afield.”
“We saw the potential for One Trading early in its journey and we are delighted to be participating with SC Ventures and others in this investment. We are happy to support One Trading to become the undisputed leading onshore, licensed and institutional trading venue the digital assets market has been clamouring for,” said Pascal Bouvier, managing partner, MiddleGame Ventures.
Re-disseminated by The Asian Banker