Coinbase and Standard Chartered expand crypto prime services for institutions

The UAE is emerging as a significant hub for cryptocurrency as Coinbase and Ripple align their strategies to capitalize on the region's growing market. This collaboration signals a shift in market gravity towards the Gulf, highlighting the UAE's commitment to becoming a global leader in digital finance.

Standard Chartered and Coinbase announced an expanded collaboration on December 12, 2025, aimed at developing a suite of services for institutional investors, focusing on trading, prime services, custody, staking, and lending. This partnership is expected to enhance the infrastructure for cryptocurrency transactions and services tailored to institutional needs.

Coinbase is preparing to launch new prediction markets and tokenized equities on December 17, which could reshape the landscape of on-chain finance and trading. This initiative follows a series of developments aimed at diversifying its offerings in the cryptocurrency space. Additionally, a solo Bitcoin miner has achieved a remarkable feat by successfully mining a block against odds of 30,000-to-1.

Standard Chartered and Coinbase are expanding their partnership to enhance trading, custody, and financing services tailored for institutional crypto clients. This collaboration aims to build a robust infrastructure that supports the growing demand for cryptocurrency solutions among large-scale investors.

Bitcoin's price has been fluctuating between $89,000 and $93,000, indicating a struggle between bullish and bearish market forces. Recent on-chain data suggests that this sideways movement is linked to the uneven distribution of Bitcoin's total supply, with analysts like Darkfost highlighting the potential for a decline below $80,000.

Coinbase is set to launch its own prediction market in collaboration with Kalshi, a federally regulated financial exchange, with a formal unveiling scheduled for December 17. This development follows a period of anticipation, highlighted by a recent social media post revealing a screenshot of Coinbase's prediction markets dashboard.

Solana is gaining institutional traction as J.P. Morgan successfully issued a $50 million tokenized commercial paper for Galaxy Digital on its blockchain, marking a significant step in the integration of blockchain technology into traditional finance. Additionally, plans to integrate XRP onto Solana are generating excitement within the cryptocurrency community.