Deutsche Bank plans to launch a digital-asset custody service for corporate and institutional clients in Germany within weeks, then expand it to several Asian financial centers in 2027. Gerald Podobnik, co-head of the bank’s Corporate Bank, outlined the timetable during meetings in Bangkok.
The initial service will cover bitcoin, ether and the stablecoins USDC, EURC and EURAU. Deutsche Bank will hold clients’ assets, manage the associated wallets and private keys, and support transfers on clients’ instructions. The bank’s September announcement said the offering remained subject to regulatory checks.
That regulatory step advanced on Oct. 12, when Deutsche Bank appeared in the European Securities and Markets Authority’s interim MiCA register with Germany’s BaFin as its competent authority. The entry lists custody and administration of crypto-assets and client transfer services, with Germany as the only country recorded.
The bank plans to add services for converting money into and out of stablecoins, tokenized deposits and assistance with issuing blockchain-based securities such as digital bonds. Podobnik linked the broader expansion to Deutsche Bank’s goal of roughly 8% compound annual revenue growth in its Corporate Bank through 2028.
The Asian markets and launch sequence have not been specified. Deutsche Bank began developing its custody plans with crypto infrastructure provider Taurus in 2023 and has also worked with Bitpanda. The planned rollout places the bank among European institutions building regulated digital-asset services for professional clients alongside existing offerings from firms including Standard Chartered and BBVA.