Hana Financial and Standard Chartered Sign Digital Asset MOU

Two banks sign cooperation agreement in Seoul

Hana Financial Group, a major South Korean banking conglomerate, and Standard Chartered, a global bank headquartered in London, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on 13 March 2026. An MOU is a formal agreement that outlines the intention to cooperate without yet binding the parties to specific contracts. The signing took place at Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul. Both firms confirmed the event publicly, and multiple independent Korean financial outlets reported on the same day.

"The partnership between Hana Financial Group and Standard Chartered, built on broad global networks and diverse financial expertise, will become a strong competitive advantage in global finance. We will also seek new growth opportunities by creating synergies in future financial sectors, including digital assets.", 13 March 2026. — Ham Young-joo, Chairman, Hana Financial Group

Deal targets digital assets and stablecoins

The MOU covers cooperation in digital assets, including stablecoins. A stablecoin is a type of digital currency designed to maintain a fixed value, typically pegged to a national currency such as the US dollar or the South Korean won. Seoul Economic Daily reported that both firms plan to cooperate on won-denominated and dollar-denominated stablecoins. This specific detail comes from a single outlet and should be read with that attribution in mind.

Standard Chartered already operates digital asset custody

Standard Chartered already runs digital asset custody services in the Middle East and Europe. Custody services in this context means the secure storage and management of digital assets on behalf of institutional clients. Multiple Korean financial news outlets confirmed this operational background in their 13 March 2026 reporting. The existing infrastructure forms part of the stated rationale for the partnership.

"Korea is a key hub in Asian financial markets, and cooperation with Hana Financial Group, which has a strong presence in global markets, will be an important milestone for our global network business.", 13 March 2026. — Bill Winters, Group Chairman/CEO, Standard Chartered

Senior leadership attended the signing ceremony

Hana Financial Group Chairman Ham Young-joo and Standard Chartered Group Chairman and CEO Bill Winters both attended the ceremony in person. Korea Herald identified Winters as CEO; Seoul Economic Daily and Aju Press used the title Chairman. Both titles apply to Winters in different official contexts. His attendance was independently confirmed across three separate Korean outlets on 15 March 2026.