Standard Chartered Plans $250 Million Cryptocurrency Investment Fund
Standard Chartered’s venture arm is preparing to introduce a $250 million cryptocurrency investment fund in 2026, highlighting the increasing interest from institutions in digital assets.
According to a report by Bloomberg on Monday, SC Ventures aims to raise capital for this investment fund that will focus on digital assets within the financial services industry, as stated by operating partner Gautam Jain.
Scheduled to debut in 2026, this fund will receive backing from investors in the Middle East and will target global investment opportunities, Jain informed Bloomberg.
SC Ventures’ initiative comes amid a trend of corporate treasury firms establishing long-term accumulation strategies, which raises expectations for additional institutional inflows into the crypto market in the coming years.
Apart from the $250 million digital asset fund, SC Ventures also plans to create a $100 million fund for investments in Africa and is contemplating its inaugural venture debt fund, according to Jain.
He did not clarify whether these funds would concentrate on cryptocurrencies or financial technology.
This announcement follows Standard Chartered’s expression of concerns regarding the declining market net asset value (mNAV) of digital asset treasury (DAT) firms, which evaluates the ratio of a company’s enterprise value to its cryptocurrency assets.
Standard Chartered cautioned that many prominent treasury firms have recently fallen below the crucial mNAV threshold of one, indicating challenges in issuing new shares and accumulating cryptocurrencies, as reported on Monday.
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“The recent collapse in DAT mNAVs will likely drive differentiation and market consolidation,” noted Standard Chartered. “Differentiation will favour the most prominent and cost-effective funders and those with staking yield,” presenting a hopeful outlook for larger firms like Strategy and Bitmine, which are still able to generate capital through low-cost debt issuance.
The proposed $250 million fund represents the latest indication of a growing corporate interest in cryptocurrencies beyond Bitcoin (BTC).
On Monday, Helius Medical Technologies, listed on Nasdaq, announced the creation of a $500 million corporate treasury reserve, with the Solana (SOL) token designated as the primary reserve asset.
The company committed to “significantly scale” its Solana holdings over the next 12 to 24 months, reflecting an influx of institutional capital into altcoins.
