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Directory › Custody
Tokenized asset custody
Custody is the safekeeping of the private keys that control tokens. For institutions this usually means a regulated custodian, such as a trust company or chartered bank, or wallet infrastructure that splits keys across several parties so that no single person can move assets alone.
It matters because whoever controls the keys controls the asset on-chain. Regulated investors often must hold assets with a qualified custodian, and tokenized funds rely on custodians both for the tokens and, separately, for the underlying securities or cash.
Providers differ in charter and regulator, supported assets and chains, and technical approach, for example multi-party computation or hardware security modules. The listings below cite each provider's official description and verification date.
Projects in this category (3)
| Name | Organisation | Type | Chains | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anchorage Digital | Anchorage Digital | Platform | – | 23 Oct 2026 |
| BitGo | BitGo | Platform | – | 23 Oct 2026 |
| Fireblocks | Fireblocks | Tool | – | 23 Oct 2026 |
- Anchorage Digital: US federally chartered crypto bank offering institutional custody, staking and settlement.
- BitGo: Digital-asset infrastructure firm offering qualified custody, staking, trading and stablecoin services.
- Fireblocks: Enterprise wallet, custody and stablecoin infrastructure used by banks, exchanges and tokenization platforms.
Every listing was checked against the official sources linked on its page. Information only, not investment advice. Eligibility, availability and supported chains change; confirm on the official site before acting. Spotted an error? Reply to any edition of the newsletter.
How to compare custody providers
Custody is a combination of law, operations and cryptography. Compare:
- Charter and regulator: trust company, bank, licensed custodian or technology provider.
- Asset segregation: whether client assets are held separately and protected in insolvency.
- Key management: multi-party computation, hardware security modules or multi-signature schemes.
- Policy controls: approval workflows, transaction limits and allowlists.
- Supported assets and chains, including tokenized securities with transfer restrictions.
Who uses tokenized asset custody
Fund managers and banks need custodians for both the underlying securities and the tokens; exchanges and brokers use institutional wallet infrastructure to hold client assets; issuers use custodians to hold reserves backing stablecoins or gold tokens. Individual investors may hold tokens in their own wallets, but many regulated products require holdings at an approved custodian. Custody choices also affect which applications and markets a token can reach. Some custodians support only selected chains or token standards, so issuers check compatibility early, before choosing where to issue.
Risks and limits
Key loss or theft can mean permanent loss of tokens, and operational failures at a custodian can freeze access. The legal protection of client assets in a custodian's insolvency varies by jurisdiction and contract. Technology providers that supply wallet software without holding assets are not custodians in the legal sense, so read the service terms carefully.
Guides
Frequently asked questions
- What is custody for tokenized assets?
- Secure control of the private keys that move tokens, often provided by a regulated custodian or by institutional wallet technology with approval policies.
- What is a qualified custodian?
- A regulated institution, such as a bank or trust company, that meets the legal requirements to hold client assets for certain regulated investors.
- Who holds the underlying asset in a tokenized fund?
- Usually a separate traditional custodian holds the securities or cash, while the tokens are recorded on-chain. Both layers matter.
