Deutsche Bank Set to Launch Bitcoin and Ethereum Custody Within Weeks as Schwab Opens Spot Crypto to 39 Million Retail Accounts

Deutsche Bank is preparing to launch a regulated cryptocurrency custody service within weeks, starting in Germany and targeting corporate and institutional clients including asset managers, hedge funds, custodians, brokers, and sovereign institutions. The platform will allow clients to store Bitcoin and Ethereum, along with select stablecoins including USDC, EURC, and EURAU, with the bank managing wallets and private keys directly through its systems. Gerald Podobnik, co-head of Corporate Bank, confirmed the initial German launch, with expansion into Asian financial centers planned for 2027 and additional services such as stablecoin transfers and tokenized deposits expected to follow.

The move by Germany's largest bank deepens a wave of institutional adoption already underway. Deutsche Bank built its custody infrastructure in partnership with Taurus and has been developing the offering since at least 2023. It joins Standard Chartered and BBVA among European banks now offering regulated crypto custody as institutional demand grows.

Also this week, Charles Schwab accelerated its phased rollout of Schwab Crypto, giving eligible U.S. retail clients direct spot access to Bitcoin and Ethereum across its platform of roughly 39 million active brokerage accounts and $11.77 trillion in client assets as of Q1 2026. The service charges 75 basis points per trade, a fee Schwab described as among the lowest in the industry. Residents of New York and Louisiana are excluded from the initial launch, and the offering covers only Bitcoin and Ether, which together represent about three-quarters of total crypto market capitalization. Schwab already offered indirect crypto exposure through exchange-traded products and futures before this expansion.