Key Insights
- Deutsche Bank plans to launch a crypto custody service in 2026 in collaboration with Bitpanda and Swiss firm Taurus, deepening its involvement in digital assets.
- The bank is also exploring stablecoin issuance and tokenized deposit solutions, signaling broader blockchain ambitions.
BERLIN, (MarketsXplora) – Deutsche Bank is preparing to offer cryptocurrency storage services for its clients beginning in 2026, marking the latest in a series of strategic moves by Germany’s largest lender into the digital asset sector.
According to sources cited by Bloomberg, the bank’s forthcoming digital assets custody service will be launched in collaboration with Bitpanda Technology Solutions, the tech division of the Austria-based crypto exchange Bitpanda. The initiative will also involve Swiss digital asset infrastructure provider Taurus, which has received backing from Deutsche Bank in previous ventures.
If confirmed, the move would signify the most concrete step yet in Deutsche Bank’s long-simmering plans to enter the crypto storage market, following early indications of interest dating back to 2020.
Strategic Pivot into Tokenization and Stablecoins
The announcement follows a growing pattern of engagement with crypto-related products by Deutsche Bank. In June, Sabih Behzad, the bank’s head of digital assets, revealed that Deutsche Bank was actively exploring participation in the stablecoin market. The possibilities under consideration include issuing its own stablecoin or becoming involved in existing stablecoin initiatives.
“We can certainly see the momentum of stablecoins along with a regulatory supportive environment, especially in the US,” Behzad noted at the time. “Banks have a wide variety of options available to engage in the stablecoin industry — everything from acting as a reserve manager, through to issuing their own stablecoin, either alone or in a consortium.”
Beyond stablecoins, the bank is reportedly assessing the potential for creating a tokenized deposit solution aimed at streamlining payment services — further reflecting its intent to modernize financial infrastructure through blockchain technology.
Related: Sparkassen to Offer Crypto Trading to 50 Million Customers by 2026
Building the Foundation: Crypto Infrastructure and Partnerships
Deutsche Bank’s crypto ambitions are not new. In 2023, the institution applied for a digital asset custody license in Germany and outlined plans to offer crypto custody services in partnership with Taurus. Later that year, it was reportedly developing a layer-2 blockchain solution on Ethereum using ZKsync, a technology aimed at enhancing transaction speed and scalability.
The collaboration with Bitpanda also builds on an ongoing working relationship. Since at least June 2024, Deutsche Bank has worked with the Vienna-based exchange to optimize crypto payment solutions — an area both firms have shown interest in expanding.
Neither Deutsche Bank nor Bitpanda responded to requests for comment on the latest development. However, if brought to market, the crypto custody service would place Deutsche Bank among a growing list of traditional financial institutions entering the digital assets space.
On the same day, another major German banking player, Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe, announced it would offer cryptocurrency trading services to its 50 million customers — a move that underscores the accelerating adoption of digital assets within Europe’s mainstream banking sector.