Deutsche Bank is preparing to launch its digital asset service in the coming weeks, according to a senior figure at the organisation.

Gerald Podobnik, co-head of the corporate ⁠bank at Deutsche Bank, told Reuters that the firm will launch its crypto asset custody offering in Germany first, followed by Asian financial markets.

This will see Deutsche Bank safeguard the cryptographic keys associated with customer-held cryptocurrencies, with the institution managing wallets and keys on behalf of its clients.

At launch, Deutsche Bank said, the digital asset custody solution will support Bitcoin and Ether in addition to stablecoins such as EURAU, EURC and USDC. Over time, its access will expand, Podobnik told Reuters.

"I believe that, as the financial system, we will need to offer tokenised or blockchain solutions to our clients ​as additional ​services alongside ⁠our traditional ones [...] but not necessarily to replace what we are doing today," Podobnik told Reuters.

Deutsche Bank has been targeting digital assets for years, having first applied for a digital asset licence in 2023, and has experience within the crypto sector having invested in the blockchain FinTech Partior and partnered with Crypto.com in 2024.

In September, it announced that it would aim to fully launch its crypto custody service in 2026, subject to regulatory approval.

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