Deutsche Bank prepares institutional crypto custody launch

• Deutsche Bank plans to launch a digital asset custody service for corporate and institutional clients, subject to regulatory timelines.
• The service will safeguard selected cryptocurrencies and stablecoins, with wallet management and private-key protection.
• The bank plans to expand its digital asset offering towards tokenised financial instruments as the market develops.

Deutsche Bank AG (XETRA:DBK) plans to launch digital asset custody for institutional and corporate clients in Europe this year, subject to regulatory approval.

The service will initially support Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH) and selected stablecoins, including USDC, EURC and EURAU, with eligible clients able to hold and transfer assets.

“Digital assets are not a replacement for the traditional financial system but an important complement to it,” Deutsche Bank Corporate Bank Co-Head Gerald Podobnik said in a statement.

Deutsche Bank will manage clients’ digital wallets and private keys, reducing the need for companies to build their own custody systems.

The bank plans to use hardware-based key protection, multi-person approvals, separate warm and cold storage, and backup and recovery controls.

Initial customers will come from its Corporate Bank and Investment Bank, including companies, asset managers, hedge funds, custodians, brokers and sovereign institutions.

The bank may expand supported assets according to client demand, risk controls and regulatory requirements, while tokenised financial instruments remain on its roadmap.

The initiative extends regulated banking infrastructure into digital asset markets, although the launch date, asset range and geographical availability remain subject to change.