Deutsche Bank, Germany’s largest lender, is reportedly preparing to launch a cryptocurrency custody service next year, marking another step in its steady pivot toward digital assets.
According to a Bloomberg report published Tuesday, the bank plans to debut a service allowing clients to store cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin in 2026. The project will be developed alongside the technology arm of Austrian crypto exchange Bitpanda and Swiss digital asset infrastructure provider Taurus, which is partly backed by Deutsche Bank itself.
If the initiative moves forward as planned, it will be Deutsche Bank’s most significant foray into the crypto custody business since first signaling interest in 2020.
Growing Appetite for Stablecoins and Tokenized Deposits
The custody plan is part of a broader strategy to expand the bank’s digital asset footprint.
Earlier this year, Deutsche Bank’s head of digital assets, Sabih Behzad, said the institution was weighing several options in the stablecoin sector, including issuing its own token or joining collaborative stablecoin projects.
“We can certainly see the momentum of stablecoins along with a regulatory supportive environment, especially in the U.S.,” Behzad said in June.
He added that banks have a wide range of avenues to get involved in the sector — from acting as reserve managers for stablecoin issuers to creating proprietary tokenized deposit solutions that could streamline payments.
These statements mirror a growing trend among European banks exploring new blockchain applications to keep pace with fintech competitors.
Previous Blockchain and Custody Efforts
This is not the first time Deutsche Bank has moved to integrate crypto storage into its operations.
In 2023, the bank announced it was working on a layer-2 blockchain project on Ethereum using ZKsync technology and began applying for a digital asset custody license in Germany.
Deutsche Bank and Bitpanda have also been collaborating on crypto payment improvements at the exchange since at least mid-2024, underscoring the strength of the partnership.
The timing of the latest news coincides with Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe, Germany’s biggest banking network, confirming plans this week to launch crypto trading for its 50 million customers by mid-2026.
As more European financial giants embrace crypto services, analysts expect competition in custody, payments, and tokenized deposits to intensify sharply over the next 18 months.
Quick Facts
- Deutsche Bank aims to roll out crypto custody services in 2026 in partnership with Bitpanda and Taurus.
- The bank is also exploring issuing a stablecoin and building tokenized deposit solutions.
- Prior efforts included developing a layer-2 blockchain and applying for a custody license in Germany.
- The news follows Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe’s plans to offer crypto trading to millions of customers.
