Deutsche Bank Awaits Regulatory Approval for Institutional Crypto Custody
Deutsche Bank seeks EU approval for crypto custody
Deutsche Bank is waiting for regulatory approval to launch crypto custody services for institutional and corporate clients in Europe. The bank expects to receive the license in October under the EU’s Markets in Crypto Assets, or MiCA, framework.
If approved, the offering would go live later this year. The bank said the launch is subject to the completion of the regulatory timeline.
What the bank plans to offer
Deutsche Bank said it will initially support custody for Bitcoin, Ether and a group of stablecoins. Stablecoins are digital tokens designed to keep a steady value by tracking an outside asset, such as the euro or the US dollar.
The stablecoins named in the announcement are Circle’s USDC, EURC and AllUnity EUR.
The bank also said it plans to add tokenized financial instruments at a later stage. Tokenized assets are real-world financial items represented as digital tokens on a blockchain.
Timeline and partnerships
Heinrich Frömsdorf, a spokesperson for Deutsche Bank, confirmed the expected October licensing timeline to Cointelegraph.
The bank first revealed plans to launch crypto custody in 2023. That effort came after it applied for a digital asset custody license in Germany and formed a partnership with Taurus, a provider of infrastructure for digital assets.
Earlier reports in 2026 also confirmed the bank was developing custody services. In June, Sabih Behzad, Deutsche Bank’s head of digital assets, told Bloomberg the bank was exploring stablecoins and tokenized deposits, and could issue its own token.
German banks expand crypto custody
The move comes as other German banks also expand into digital asset services following full enforcement of MiCA on July 1.
In April 2024, Landesbank Baden-Württemberg began offering crypto custody after partnering with Austria-based Bitpanda. In December 2025, DZ Bank said it received authorization from the German financial regulator BaFin under MiCA to operate its meinKrypto platform.
What is confirmed
- Deutsche Bank is awaiting a custody license under the EU’s MiCA framework.
- The bank expects the license in October, according to its spokesperson.
- Initial support will include Bitcoin, Ether, USDC, EURC and AllUnity EUR.
- Tokenized financial instruments are planned for a later phase.
- Deutsche Bank is listed by the Financial Stability Board as a Global Systemically Important Bank.
- The bank first disclosed custody plans in 2023 alongside its partnership with Taurus.
Why this matters for European finance
Deutsche Bank is one of Europe’s largest lenders. If it launches institutional crypto custody, it would give corporate clients and asset managers in the EU a bank-led option to store digital assets under established financial regulation.
The development also signals that major European banks are using the EU’s new crypto rulebook to enter the market more quickly.
What happens next
Deutsche Bank will await the regulatory decision in October. If the license is granted, the bank plans to start serving its first clients before the end of 2026.