At Sibos 2025 Rene Michau, Global Head of Digital Assets at Standard Chartered, explains how the bank is thinking about the future of digital assets across its business. Working within the investment bank but also closely with SC Ventures, as well as the wealth and retail franchises, Michau’s role is to help shape how the organisation positions itself for a digital asset–driven future, from strategy through to practical initiatives.
A key theme Standard Chartered addresses is interoperability so, rather than expecting a “magic” solution that makes all blockchain systems talk to each other effortlessly, he however argues that incumbent financial institutions will need to build real capabilities across multiple blockchains and asset classes. Existing standards and frameworks, such as the work SWIFT is doing on digital assets, are seen as useful building blocks. For Standard Chartered, the path forward is less about a single interoperability breakthrough and more about banks investing in skills, infrastructure and standards so different digital asset ecosystems can work together in a reliable way.
Michau also highlights the rapid growth and clear utility of stablecoins. The ability to move value in fiat terms, 24/7 and across borders, is proving to be a compelling use case and when value is native to the internet, whether through cryptocurrencies or stablecoins on large public blockchains, it effectively creates a new operating system for finance. This, Michau suggests, forces a rethink of how correspondent banking works globally and opens the door for meaningful disruption.
The conversation then turns to remittances, where the impact of digital assets is already visible. Standard Chartered notes that during COVID there was a noticeable rise in the use of Bitcoin and later stablecoins for cross-border remittance flows, largely as a response to high fees and operational friction in traditional channels. Some remittance companies are already using stablecoins and other digital assets behind the scenes to lower their own costs and simplify treasury operations. Whether it’s traditional institutions redesigning their services or entirely new models emerging, their view is that the sector can no longer ignore digital assets, especially stablecoins, for these types of payments.
Finally, Michau emphasises the importance of partnership and ecosystem-building and Standard Chartered sees itself as having a social obligation to improve economic access, while operating within a regulated framework. To do that effectively in digital assets, Standard Chartered believes large, balance sheet, heavy banks must collaborate closely with fintechs and crypto-native firms. Because regulatory capital rules and other constraints limit what banks can do directly, partnerships with non-bank crypto firms can help unlock a wider range of client solutions.
This “virtuous cycle” between banks and the crypto ecosystem, in Standard Chartered’s view, is essential to developing a healthier, more inclusive digital asset landscape for clients and the communities in which the bank operates.
