Deutsche Bank targets Asia after German crypto custody launch
Deutsche Bank expects to launch institutional crypto custody in Germany within weeks, then expand to Asian financial centres in 2027 as it pursues corporate-bank growth.
The Crypto News Week Editors3 min read
8% is Deutsche Bank’s target annual compound growth rate for its corporate bank by 2028. The lender is weeks away from launching its first digital asset custody service in Germany, and plans to expand it to Asian financial centres in 2027, co-head Gerald Podobnik told Reuters.
The rollout would give institutional clients a regulated way to hold crypto through a major bank, while extending Deutsche Bank’s business into Asia.
The German launch is still subject to regulatory steps. Deutsche Bank said its European service is planned for this year, with first client onboarding dependent on the applicable regulatory timeline.
What will Deutsche Bank’s custody service support?
The service will initially let eligible clients hold and transfer selected digital assets, with the bank managing wallets and private keys on their behalf. That means clients will not need to build and operate their own custody systems.
Deutsche Bank’s September announcement lists Bitcoin, Ether and selected stablecoins or e-money tokens, including USDC, EURC and EURAU. It says the asset range may change as the bank reviews client demand, risk and regulatory requirements.
Podobnik told Reuters the rollout would begin with major cryptocurrencies, then add services to help clients move money into and out of mainstream stablecoins. The bank also says tokenised financial instruments are on its roadmap.
Who can use the service, and where?
The initial target is institutional and corporate clients in Europe, not retail customers. Deutsche Bank lists companies, asset managers, hedge funds, custodians, brokers and sovereign institutions among the potential clients, subject to its eligibility checks and risk criteria.
After Germany, the bank plans to expand the custody platform into Asian financial centres in 2027, Podobnik told Reuters. Deutsche Bank has not named specific cities or set out the regulatory steps for those markets.
How does the launch fit the bank’s growth plan?
Podobnik said the custody push supports the corporate bank’s target of 8% compound annual growth by 2028. He pointed to the expanding digital economy, including hundreds of billions of dollars held in stablecoins, as evidence of new pools of value.
Deutsche Bank describes digital assets as a complement to traditional finance. Its planned custody service is designed to let clients safeguard assets and transfer them to third parties, with private keys managed by the bank.
The launch remains conditional on regulatory approval. Deutsche Bank also cautions that crypto-assets are not covered by a deposit-guarantee scheme comparable to the protection for eligible bank deposits.
References
- Reuters — live.euronext.com