Germany’s largest bank is edging deeper into digital territory. According to a Bloomberg report, Deutsche Bank (DB) plans to offer crypto custody services starting in 2026. This move would open up secure storage of assets like Bitcoin to institutional clients across Europe.
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Deutsche Bank Teams Up with Bitpanda and Taurus
The rollout is expected to be executed in partnership with two key players in the space. Austria’s Bitpanda will provide technical infrastructure, and Swiss tech firm Taurus, already backed by Deutsche Bank, will also contribute to the custody stack. Both firms specialize in tokenization and digital asset management.
This is not a sudden pivot. Deutsche Bank has been circling the crypto custody space since at least 2020. The bank applied for a digital asset custody license in Germany in 2023, and now it appears ready to scale the effort in a more public way.
Stablecoins and Tokenized Deposits Are Also on the Table
The custody play is not the only crypto-related move Deutsche Bank has in motion. Sabih Behzad, the bank’s head of digital assets, recently suggested that stablecoins are very much on the radar. The bank is considering launching its own stablecoin or joining existing projects, depending on how the market and regulations evolve.
Behzad highlighted the wide range of options available to traditional banks, including acting as a reserve manager or issuing stablecoins directly, either alone or as part of a consortium.
The bank is also exploring tokenized deposits, which could be used to streamline payments. That would align Deutsche Bank with a growing number of financial institutions building private digital currency infrastructure, similar to JPMorgan’s (JPM) Onyx platform.
Not Deutsche Bank’s First Blockchain Effort
Deutsche Bank has already made multiple forays into the blockchain space. In late 2024, it was reported that the bank had begun developing a layer-2 blockchain using Ethereum’s ZKsync technology. Although still in its early stages, that project adds to a string of moves showing the bank’s intention to build on-chain products rather than just experiment from the sidelines.
Deutsche Bank has also previously worked with Bitpanda on improving crypto payments infrastructure, and that partnership appears to be deepening with the upcoming custody rollout.
German Banks Now Compete for the Crypto Edge
Deutsche Bank is not alone. The Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe, a major player in the German banking system with more than 50 million customers, announced on the same day that it will roll out crypto trading services. The race to win over Europe’s crypto-curious clients has clearly begun.
What was once a fringe experiment is now a full-fledged strategy. For investors and institutions alike, custody is no longer a bottleneck. It is becoming a business.
Is Deutsche Bank Stock a Good Buy?
TipRanks data shows that analysts are increasingly bullish on Deutsche Bank’s stock. Out of 11 Wall Street analysts, 10 have rated the stock a “Buy” in the last three months, with zero “Sell” ratings and just one “Hold.”
The average 12-month DB price target is $30.54, reflecting a 5.8% upside from the last traded price of $28.86.
