Deutsche Bank to Launch Institutional Crypto Custody Under MiCA Framework

Deutsche Bank, Germany's largest financial institution, is awaiting regulatory approval to roll out institutional digital asset custody services in Europe before the end of the year. The bank announced on Wednesday that the offering will initially support Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), and select stablecoins including Circle USDC (USDC), EURC (EURC), and AllUnity EUR (EURAU), with plans to expand into tokenized financial instruments at a later stage. Heinrich Frömsdorf, a Deutsche Bank spokesperson, told Cointelegraph that the bank expects to receive its custody license in October under the European Union's Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) framework.

The move builds on Deutsche Bank's earlier crypto ambitions. In 2023, the bank partnered with Swiss fintech firm Taurus to develop crypto custody infrastructure and subsequently applied for a digital asset custody license in Germany. In June, Sabih Behzad, Deutsche Bank's head of digital assets, indicated the institution was also exploring stablecoin issuance. The bank is among those designated as a Global Systemically Important Bank by the Financial Stability Board, underscoring the significance of its entry into the crypto custody market.

Deutsche Bank is not alone among German lenders pursuing crypto services. In April 2024, Landesbank Baden-Württemberg, Germany's largest federal bank, began offering institutional crypto custody through a partnership with Austria-based Bitpanda. DZ Bank followed in December 2025, receiving authorization from BaFin under MiCA to operate its meinKrypto platform. With MiCA reaching full enforcement on July 1, 2024, the regulatory environment in Europe has become more defined, encouraging traditional financial institutions to accelerate their digital asset strategies.