Singapore – Banking giant DBS has announced its foray into cryptocurrency, offering over-the-counter cryptocurrency options trading and structured notes for eligible institutional investors and accredited wealth clients.
This makes the Singapore-based bank the first Asian-headquartered bank to offer financial products whose value is linked to the price of Bitcoin and Ethereum – the two largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalisation.
From Q4 2024 onwards, eligible clients seeking to build exposure to the asset class may do so through options trading and structured notes. Depending on the product’s structure and cryptocurrency price movements, clients may earn yield on fiat or take delivery of the underlying cryptocurrency.
Moreover, eligible clients custodising Bitcoin and Ethereum with DBS may also hedge their positions against market volatility and potentially earn yield through various options structures.
For instance, a client seeking to manage the inherent volatility of Bitcoin may buy a put option, which gives the client the right to sell Bitcoin at a fixed price at a future date, even if Bitcoin prices fall below the fixed price by that future date.
Jacky Tai, group head of trading and structuring of global financial markets at DBS, said, “Professional investors are increasingly allocating to digital assets in their portfolios. Underpinned by DBS’ strong credit ratings and longstanding expertise in structuring solutions, these financial products are an expansion of the bank’s value proposition to provide clients trusted institutional-grade access to the digital asset ecosystem.
She added, “Now, our clients have an alternative channel to build exposure to the asset class and incorporate advanced investment strategies to better manage their digital asset portfolios.”
Currently, clients build their digital asset portfolios with DBS by trading cryptocurrencies and security tokens via DBS Digital Exchange (DDEx). Said digital exchange recently reported that the value of digital assets traded on the exchange nearly tripled in Singapore dollar terms as compared to the same time in 2023.
