Banks vs Crypto Exchanges: The Custody War Deutsche Bank Just Joined Bitcoin News ETHNews

Deutsche Bank is moving into crypto custody, adding another major banking name to a market that’s increasingly split between traditional banks and crypto exchanges. The lender plans to open Bitcoin and Ethereum custody for institutional and corporate clients in Germany within weeks, with Asian financial hubs to follow in 2027, according to Reuters. The shift highlights a “custody war” where both bank custody and exchange custody keep private keys with a third party, while self-custody removes that middleman. Deutsche Bank’s entry follows launches and expansions by BNY, Citi, Charles Schwab, and Morgan Stanley, while exchanges push into tokenized stocks, gold, and commodities, including Kraken and Coinbase.