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Deutsche Bank nears crypto custody launch, eyes Asia in 2027

Deutsche Bank says it is weeks from launching Bitcoin and Ether custody in Germany, with Asian financial centres next in 2027 as it broadens digital asset services.

Uruguay Can Editorial

Deutsche Bank nears crypto custody launch, eyes Asia in 2027

Deutsche Bank had said its planned custody service would start in Europe this year, subject to regulatory timelines; now it says the launch is weeks away and it plans to expand into Asian financial centres in 2027. The bank is moving from a European custody plan toward a wider digital asset business, according to Reuters’ report on Gerald Podobnik’s comments.

What will the service support at launch?

The first phase will hold major cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Ether, for clients, Reuters reported. Deutsche Bank’s September announcement said its planned service would let institutional and corporate clients safeguard assets and transfer them to third parties, while the bank manages their wallets and private keys. The bank listed selected stablecoins or e-money tokens, including USDC, EURC and EURAU, among assets it expected to support at launch, and said tokenised financial instruments were on its roadmap.

The rollout is planned in stages:

  1. Launch crypto custody in Germany, starting with major cryptocurrencies.
  2. Expand the platform into Asian financial centres in 2027.
  3. Add services to help clients move money into and out of mainstream stablecoins.

Why is Deutsche Bank expanding beyond custody?

Podobnik, the bank’s co-head of corporate banking, linked the move to growth in the digital economy and to Deutsche Bank’s goal of 8% compound annual growth in corporate banking by 2028. He told Reuters that stablecoins already hold hundreds of billions of dollars, pointing to new pools of value that banks may need to serve. He said blockchain and tokenised services would sit alongside traditional banking rather than replace it.

The bank also plans to offer tokenised deposits and help clients issue blockchain-based securities such as digital bonds, Reuters reported. That would extend the offer from safeguarding crypto to supporting other financial products on blockchain networks.

When could clients use the service?

“Weeks away” is the timeline Podobnik gave Reuters for the launch, but Deutsche Bank’s September announcement made the service subject to completion of the applicable regulatory process. It said the initial target clients would be corporate and institutional customers in Europe, including asset managers, hedge funds, custodians, brokers and sovereign institutions. So the expansion plan is clear, while timing and availability remain contingent on regulatory steps.

Sources