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- Deutsche Bank expects to launch crypto custody in Germany within weeks, corporate banking co-head Gerald Podobnik said on Oct. 16.
- The bank plans to extend the platform to Asian financial centers in 2027, following an initial rollout for corporate and institutional clients.
- Eligible customers will include companies, asset managers, hedge funds, brokers, custodians and sovereign institutions.
Deutsche Bank expects to launch crypto custody in Germany within weeks, corporate banking co-head Gerald Podobnik said on Oct. 16. The bank plans to extend the platform to Asian financial centers in 2027, following an initial rollout for corporate and institutional clients.
Deutsche Bank Targets Corporate and Institutional Clients
The timetable brings the bank closer to implementing a service announced on Sept. 16. That announcement targeted a European launch before the end of 2026, while Podobnik’s latest comments identify Germany as the starting market.
Eligible customers will include companies, asset managers, hedge funds, brokers, custodians and sovereign institutions. The initial offering targets clients of Deutsche Bank’s Corporate Bank and Investment Bank.
Access will depend on onboarding checks, due diligence and the bank’s risk criteria. The service is not initially intended for retail customers, so the timetable does not mark the opening of a consumer crypto product.
Bank Will Manage Wallets and Private Keys
Clients will be able to hold supported digital assets and transfer them to third parties. Deutsche Bank will manage their wallets and private keys, reducing the need for customers to operate their own custody infrastructure.
The planned security arrangements include hardware protection for keys, divided responsibilities and approval by multiple people for important actions. Separate warm and cold storage environments, backups and recovery procedures are also part of the design. Cold storage keeps keys offline.
Bitcoin and Ether are among the assets identified for custody. Safekeeping does not protect their market value, and the bank’s security controls do not eliminate all operational or counterparty risks.
Custody Services Differ From Trading
For Deutsche Bank’s prospective clients, the announced functions are custody and transfers. Those capabilities should not be read as confirmation of a live crypto exchange, brokerage service or discretionary investment offering.
Other banks are developing additional uses around custody. Standard Chartered has launched custody for Ripple USD (RLUSD) in Dubai. It is developing a collateral arrangement with trading venue operator LMAX Group. That planned integration would let eligible clients use tokens held with the bank as trading collateral; it remains under development.
Deutsche Bank Plans Stablecoin and Tokenization Services
Podobnik also outlined plans for stablecoin conversion services, tokenized deposits and support for issuing blockchain-based securities such as digital bonds. These remain planned services rather than confirmed operational offerings.
September’s announcement listed selected stablecoins and e-money tokens alongside Bitcoin and Ether. Friday’s interview described services for moving into and out of stablecoins as a later phase. Custody support and conversion functionality are separate capabilities, and the final opening scope remains unconfirmed.
Podobnik described how the product would evolve in the September announcement:
“The service will be further developed in line with client demand, regulatory requirements and the bank’s risk appetite.”
