Deutsche Bank to Offer Bitcoin, Ether and Stablecoin Custody in Europe

Highlights:

• Deutsche Bank plans to offer crypto custody for institutions, starting with Bitcoin, Ether and selected stablecoins.
• The service will help large clients store and transfer crypto without building their own custody systems.
• Deutsche Bank expects the service to begin later in 2026, after completing the required regulatory process.

Germany’s largest lender, Deutsche Bank AG, is preparing to launch a crypto custody service for institutional and corporate clients in Europe. The service will support Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH) and selected stablecoins, giving large clients a regulated way to hold and transfer digital assets through the bank. Deutsche Bank confirmed the plan on September 16. The bank expects to welcome its first clients later in 2026, once the required regulatory process is complete.

Germany's Largest Bank to Launch Crypto Custody Services

According to Bloomberg, Germany's largest lender, Deutsche Bank AG, has announced plans to launch an institutional-grade cryptocurrency custody service, marking its formal entry into digital asset storage. Pending… pic.twitter.com/CMS1YPd0yV

— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) September 16, 2026

Deutsche Bank Will Manage Crypto Wallets and Private Keys

Under the new digital asset custody service, Deutsche Bank will manage clients’ crypto wallets and private keys. Private keys are the credentials that give a holder control over crypto assets. By handling this part of the process, the bank will allow institutions to store and transfer digital assets without building their own custody systems. The service will also let clients transfer assets to third parties when needed.

Gerald Podobnik, Co-Head of Corporate Bank at Deutsche Bank, said:

“Digital assets are not a replacement for the traditional financial system but an important complement to it.”

He added that Deutsche Bank plans to develop the service based on client demand, regulatory requirements and the bank’s own risk controls. Security will be a major part of the platform. Deutsche Bank said its system will use hardware-based key protection, multi-person approval processes and separate warm and cold storage environments. Backup and recovery systems will also form part of the setup. Selected outside technology providers will support specific parts of the infrastructure.

Bitcoin, Ether and Stablecoins Included at Launch

Deutsche Bank plans to start with Bitcoin and Ether, the two largest crypto assets by market value. The custody platform will also support selected stablecoins and e-money tokens, including USDC, EURC and EURAU. The bank may add more digital assets later.

Any expansion will depend on customer demand as well as product approval, risk management and regulatory requirements. Tokenized financial instruments are also part of Deutsche Bank’s longer-term roadmap. These are traditional financial assets represented digitally on blockchain-based systems.

Service Targets European Institutional Clients

The first stage will focus on clients from Deutsche Bank’s Corporate Bank and Investment Bank in Europe. Potential users include companies, asset managers, hedge funds, brokers, custodians and sovereign institutions. Each client will still need to meet the bank’s due-diligence and risk requirements.

Deutsche Bank has been working toward a crypto custody offering for several years. Bloomberg previously reported that the bank was developing the service with support from Bitpanda’s technology unit and Swiss digital asset infrastructure company Taurus. The bank had already worked with Taurus on institutional digital asset custody plans.

The planned launch brings Deutsche Bank further into digital asset infrastructure as traditional financial institutions expand services around Bitcoin, stablecoins and tokenized assets. However, the bank stressed that the final timing, supported assets, and geographical availability could still change as the regulatory process continues.