Key insights
- Deutsche Bank launches crypto custody services for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and three stablecoins in Europe.
- Deutsche Bank receives MiCA registration to offer crypto custody and transfer services.
- The bank plans to expand its crypto custody business into Asia in 2027.
Deutsche Bank has started offering crypto custody services to institutional and corporate customers in Europe. Clients can now store and transfer Bitcoin, Ethereum and three stablecoins through the bank’s Autobahn platform. The launch follows its October MiCA registration and September announcement.
Deutsche Bank Starts Crypto Custody for European Clients
The service went live on November 11, after the German bank announced its plans in September. It is open to paying business customers, not everyday banking customers. Retail users cannot sign up for the service at this stage.
Five assets are supported at launch: Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDC, EURC and EURAU. Customers can use Autobahn, the bank’s corporate banking system, to access their holdings and make transfers without moving to a banking service.
Deutsche Bank handles the wallets and private keys needed to hold these assets. Clients therefore do not have to manage that part of the process themselves. The custody system uses hardware to protect private keys. It also includes warm and cold wallets, several approval checks, and separate arrangements for storing client assets.
Swiss digital asset firm Taurus is one of the bank’s technology partners. The two have worked together on custody and tokenization technology since 2023. The service is aimed at asset managers, hedge funds, brokers, companies, institutional investors and sovereign institutions. The bank has not named its first customers or published the fees they pay. It is therefore unclear how much customers will be charged.
For now, the crypto custody service is limited to storage and transfers. Trading and exchange services are not part of the initial offer. Paul Maley, the bank’s global head of trust and securities services, said it wants to add more digital asset services over time. Its plans include custody, tokenization and settlement under one regulated system.
MiCA Registration Clears the Way for Launch
The bank registered under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation, known as MiCA, on October 12. Germany’s financial regulator, BaFin, recorded its permission to provide crypto custody and transfer services. The registration is also listed in the European Securities and Markets Authority’s MiCA register.
That allows Deutsche Bank to serve eligible customers in Germany and other European markets under the relevant cross-border rules. The registration came about a month before the service opened.
The approval does not cover every product the bank hopes to introduce. Its custody website does not list cryptocurrency trading, exchange services or tokenized securities among the products available at launch.
Additional assets and services may come later, but the bank says those decisions will depend on customer demand, internal approvals and regulatory requirements.
Asia Plans Include Stablecoins and Digital Bonds
Deutsche Bank also wants to take its digital asset services into major Asian financial centers in 2027. Gerald Podobnik, co-head of corporate banking, discussed the plans in October. They include exchanging traditional currencies for stablecoins, offering tokenized deposits and helping clients issue digital bonds.
The expansion forms part of the bank’s corporate banking growth plan. It is targeting annual revenue growth of about 8% between 2025 and 2028.
On November 11, the bank announced an agreement with Deutsche Asset Management to look into working together on digital assets. No specific products or launch dates were given. Other banks are moving into the same business. BNY has worked with Ripple on custody services, while State Street has been developing its own digital asset systems.
Deutsche Bank is also among 21 financial institutions backing a separate stablecoin project with about $270 million in committed funding. That group plans to launch a US dollar stablecoin in the first half of 2027.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment or legal advice. Cryptocurrency custody carries market, cybersecurity and counterparty risks. Readers should consult official bank disclosures and applicable regulatory guidance before making financial decisions.
