Zodia Custody CEO Julian Sawyer steps down, becomes adviser

Julian Sawyer is stepping away from the CEO seat at Zodia Custody, the London-based digital asset custodian backed by Standard Chartered’s venture arm SC Ventures. Sawyer, who has led the firm since January 2023, is transitioning into an advisory role as the company undergoes one of the more significant structural overhauls in institutional crypto custody this year.

Standard Chartered announced in May 2026 that it would acquire Zodia Custody’s regulated custody business outright, folding it into the bank’s Financing and Securities Services division. That deal has already cleared shareholder and noteholder approval, with signing expected by the end of June 2026 and full completion targeted for late August.

What’s actually happening to Zodia

The restructuring effectively splits Zodia Custody into two pieces. The regulated custody operations, the part that holds digital assets in cold storage for institutional clients, gets absorbed directly into Standard Chartered. The Zodia Custody brand retires after that integration.

Zodia’s institutional digital asset infrastructure is being spun off as a new standalone entity called Zodia Solutions. SC Ventures will hold a majority stake in the new company.

Prior reporting indicated Sawyer was set to lead Zodia Solutions post-acquisition. His shift to an advisory capacity at the parent entity suggests that transition is now underway.

Zodia Custody currently holds regulatory licenses across multiple jurisdictions: the FCA in the UK, CSSF in Luxembourg, and the ADGM FSRA in the UAE, among others. The platform supports cold storage custody for more than 75 digital assets.

Sawyer’s track record and Zodia’s personnel shifts

Sawyer served as CEO of Bitstamp, one of Europe’s oldest crypto exchanges, from 2020 until May 2022. When he took the Zodia helm in early 2023, the firm was still in its growth phase, expanding its regulatory footprint and client base across Europe and the Middle East.

His departure from the CEO role is not the first leadership change at Zodia in recent months. In February 2026, John Cronin, who ran Zodia’s Ireland operations, also left the company.

Why banks are buying instead of building

Standard Chartered’s decision to acquire rather than organically develop its custody infrastructure fits a broader pattern in institutional finance. The bank already had indirect exposure through SC Ventures’ backing of Zodia, so the acquisition converts a portfolio company into a core business unit within its Financing and Securities Services division.

Sawyer’s move to an advisory role, rather than a clean exit, suggests he’ll remain connected to the ecosystem through Zodia Solutions.

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