To stay ahead of the curve, the International Central Securities Depository (ICSD) arm of the Deutsche Börse Group, Clearstream, will enter the crypto market with cryptocurrency settlement and custody for institutional clients starting April 2025.
Headquartered in Luxembourg, with over $21 billion in assets under management and consistently high credit ratings, Clearstream offers settlement, custody, and other related securities services across all asset classes.
Clearstream Embraces Crypto
The securities service provider intends to enter the crypto industry with Bitcoin and Ethereum services for its clients via its offshoot, Crypto Finance, as a sub-custodian. It is also planning to launch other crypto services like staking, lending, and, shortly, other cryptocurrencies.
Clearstream customers will utilize their already existing accounts with the financial service provider to gain access to the crypto settlement and custody services.
In an interview, the head of Issuer services and new digital markets at Clreastream, Jens Hachmeister, said:
“With this offering, we are creating a one-stop shop around custody, brokerage, and settlement. The move opens up Clearstream to offer its services for assets like stablecoins and tokenized securities in the future.”
Clearstream’s decision to offer crypto-related services comes amid a recent monumental shift in regulatory frameworks in Europe and the U.S., paving the way for greater institutional adoption in the digital asset market.
More Crypto Adoption
Clearstream’s Crypto Finance had its first affair with digital assets when it partnered with German Commerzbank to ensure customers a secure trading experience. While CommerzBank managed the custody of digital assets.
Following its first affair with the digital asset with Commerzbank in September 2024, Clearstream’s crypto Finance started planning the latest offering with Clearstream. Stijn Vander Streaten, Chief Executive at Crypto Finance said:
“The strategy help speed up crypto adoption by banks and large institutions because they use technology and compliance tools that they are already familiar with.”
In a similar development, one of Germany’s largest banks, DekaBank, recently launched its cryptocurrency services to institutional clients, explicitly excluding retail customers.
