Deutsche Bank has launched a digital-asset custody service for paying institutional and corporate clients, with the service going live on Nov. 11 after receiving approval from Germany’s Federal Financial Supervisory Authority, BaFin. The initial offering supports Bitcoin, Ether and three stablecoins: USDC, EURC and EURAU.
The launch moves a previously announced plan into a live service for European institutions. It gives eligible clients a bank-operated arrangement for holding supported digital assets, while Deutsche Bank retains management of the wallets and private keys used in the custody process.
BaFin approval brings custody service live
Deutsche Bank said it launched its digital-asset custody service in November 2026 after receiving regulatory approval from BaFin, with Reuters reporting that paying clients could begin using it on Nov. 11. The service is now live under the approved framework as part of Deutsche Bank’s institutional-services offering.
Deutsche Bank had said in September that the service was intended for European corporate and institutional clients, including asset managers, hedge funds, custodians, brokers and sovereign institutions, rather than retail investors.
Bitcoin, Ether and stablecoins in the first rollout
Bitcoin, Ether, USDC, EURC and EURAU appear on Deutsche Bank’s initial supported-asset list, set out in its announcement.
The same announcement places tokenized financial instruments in a later stage. It gives no timing for that expansion and does not identify which tokenized instruments would be added first.
Bank-managed wallets and keys
Under the operating model, Deutsche Bank manages clients’ digital wallets and private keys, the credentials used to authorize transactions from a digital wallet.
Deutsche Bank said the custody setup uses hardware protection, multi-person approvals, segregated storage and offline cold storage. Multi-person approvals add an internal authorization step before actions can be completed, while segregated and offline storage describe how client holdings are separated and kept away from continuous internet connectivity.
The arrangement is intended for asset managers, hedge funds, custodians, brokers and sovereign institutions. It therefore centers on bank-managed controls and institutional processes rather than a consumer wallet product in which individual users independently hold the private keys.
Link to tokenized funds and exchange-traded products
The custody launch sits alongside a broader exploration of digital financial products at Deutsche Bank. Reuters said the bank signed a memorandum of understanding with Deutsche Asset Management to explore tokenized money-market funds, crypto-asset exchange-traded commodities and stablecoins.
A memorandum of understanding signals an exploratory step rather than confirmation that the products will be launched. Still, the subjects named in the agreement align with the bank’s stated plan to add tokenized financial instruments to its custody offering at a later stage.
The immediate service is therefore narrower than that longer-term product agenda: it is a live custody platform for Bitcoin, Ether, USDC, EURC and EURAU, available to paying European institutional and corporate clients. The potential work with Deutsche Asset Management points to tokenized money-market funds, exchange-traded crypto products and stablecoins as areas Deutsche Bank is examining next.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.