I just did something very similar and did a ton of research. Had a few hiccups but those seemed to be derailleur related and not a speed compatibility issue. currently running an 8 speed bike, 8 speed chain, with a triple ring crank, both the big and middle ring are 10 speed. From what Ive read about and discussed with shop mechanics, its fine to run chainrings that are a generation or two ahead of your rear cluster. hence, 8 speed rear, should run fine with 9/10 speed front rings. so, as long as your shifters are a double, your ten speed crank should work ok. if you have triple shifters/triple front fd, thats the only place where i might see an issue. you might be able to mess with the limit screws to stop the triple from going to the smallest postion (the third click) but optimally, you do want your shifters to match the number of rings in front.
from the sheldon brown site....
"New Chainrings, Old Chains
Going the other direction, using wider chains with chainrings intended for narrower chains is not generally a major problem if there's only a one- or two- generation difference. The only problem you might run into is that the chain will be more liable to rub on the inside of the bigger chainrings in the small/small crossover gears, gears you shouldn't be using in any case."
http://sheldonbrown.com/speeds.html