Deutsche Bank launches crypto custody service for European institutions

Deutsche Bank AG announced plans on September 16, 2026, to launch a digital-assets custody service for European institutional and corporate clients. Pending regulatory approval from Germany's BaFin, the service is scheduled to go live later in 2026. The platform will initially support Bitcoin, Ether, and select stablecoins like USDC and EURAU, utilizing technology from partners Taurus and Bitpanda. Gerald Podobnik of Deutsche Bank framed the offering as a secure complement to traditional financial systems.

Deutsche Bank crypto custody launch

• ▪Deutsche Bank AG announced on September 16, 2026, that it is launching a digital-assets custody service for European institutional and corporate clients
• ▪Deutsche Bank AG plans to go live with its first digital-assets custody clients later in 2026, pending final regulatory approvals

BaFin regulatory approval process

• ▪Deutsche Bank AG's digital-assets custody service for European institutional and corporate clients, announced September 16, 2026, is pending regulatory approval from Germany's Federal Financial Supervisory Authority, known as BaFin
• ▪Deutsche Bank AG first applied to BaFin for a digital custody license in 2023
• ▪Commerzbank won a BaFin crypto custody license in November 2023, preceding Deutsche Bank AG's pending approval

Bitcoin ether stablecoin support

• ▪Deutsche Bank AG plans to expand its digital-assets custody service for European institutional and corporate clients, announced September 16, 2026, over time to potentially include tokenized financial instruments
• ▪The EURAU stablecoin supported by Deutsche Bank AG was launched in July 2025 by AllUnity, a joint venture of Galaxy, Flow Traders, and Deutsche Bank's majority-owned asset manager DWS
• ▪Deutsche Bank AG's digital-assets custody service for European institutional and corporate clients, announced September 16, 2026, will initially support Bitcoin, Ether, and selected stablecoins, specifically USDC, EURC, and EURAU

Hardware security infrastructure design

• ▪Deutsche Bank AG stated that its digital-assets custody service for European institutional and corporate clients, announced September 16, 2026, will manage wallets and private keys on behalf of clients, reducing their need to build proprietary infrastructure
• ▪Deutsche Bank AG designed its digital-assets custody platform for European institutional and corporate clients, announced September 16, 2026, with hardware-backed key generation, multi-person approvals, split duties, and segregated warm and cold storage

Institutional corporate client targeting

• ▪Gerald Podobnik, co-head of Deutsche Bank's Corporate Bank, stated that digital assets are an important complement to, rather than a replacement for, the traditional financial system
• ▪Deutsche Bank AG is targeting institutional and corporate clients, including asset managers, hedge funds, brokers, custodians, and sovereign institutions

Debatable claims

• ▪Deutsche Bank should not custody stablecoins in which it holds a financial stake
• ▪Deutsche Bank should not offer cryptocurrency custody services
• ▪There is a growing convergence between digital assets and traditional financial portfolios