Deutsche Bank to launch digital asset custody service in Europe

FRANKFURT – Deutsche Bank is preparing to launch a regulated digital asset custody service for institutional and corporate clients in Europe, with initial customer onboarding expected later this year, subject to regulatory approvals.

The new service will provide secure custody for selected digital assets, allowing clients to access digital asset infrastructure without needing to build and operate their own systems. Initially, the bank plans to support Bitcoin, Ether, and certain stablecoins or e-money tokens such as USDC, EURC, and EURAU. Tokenized financial instruments are also part of the future roadmap.

Deutsche Bank stated that the availability, timing, and asset coverage are subject to regulatory processes, internal approvals, and risk management requirements. The platform is being designed with institutional-grade controls, including secure key generation, hardware-based protection, segregation of duties, multi-person approvals, and separate warm and cold storage solutions.

Gerald Podobnik, Co-Head Corporate Bank at Deutsche Bank, commented that digital assets are viewed as a complement to the traditional financial system. The service aims to offer clients a secure and regulated route into the evolving digital asset market, targeting corporations, asset managers, hedge funds, custodians, brokers, and sovereign institutions.