Deutsche Bank plans Asia crypto custody rollout in 2027 as German launch nears

Deutsche Bank plans to extend its crypto custody service to Asia in 2027, according to Reuters, which cited the bank's co-head. The German lender expects to launch the service in Germany within weeks, subject to regulatory approval.

The custody offering would let corporate and institutional clients hold and transfer cryptocurrencies, with the bank managing the technology needed to secure the assets. Deutsche Bank said in September that its initial offering would support bitcoin, ether and stablecoins including USDC, EURC and EURAU.

Germany's financial regulator, BaFin, authorised the bank under the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) rules on 12 October, according to the European Securities and Markets Authority's interim register. The bank also plans stablecoin conversion, tokenised deposits and services to help clients issue digital bonds and other blockchain-based securities.

The Asian expansion would give institutional clients there access to crypto services through an established global bank without managing their own wallets or private keys. It is unclear which Asian markets the bank will target first. The bank's co-head, identified in the report as Podobnik, said the expansion forms part of a plan for roughly 8% compound annual revenue growth in its corporate bank from 2025 to 2028.

Deutsche Bank has worked with Bitpanda and Taurus on its custody plans, and joins rivals including Standard Chartered and BBVA in offering crypto custody. The move extends the service beyond Europe as banks seek a larger role in managing digital assets for institutional clients.