- Clearstream, a Deutsche Boerse subsidiary, plans to integrate BTC and ETH into Europe’s financial ecosystem by offering secure and regulated custody solutions.
- The announcement comes amid institutional crypto adoption worldwide, with the U.S. having seen major financial institutions establish strategic Bitcoin reserves.
Deutsche Börse’s Digital Custody unit, Clearstream, is set to launch institutional-grade custody services for Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) in April, marking a step in the integration of digital assets into traditional finance. This initiative is exclusively for institutional investors in Europe, including asset managers and financial institutions seeking secure and compliant solutions to store their BTC and ETH holdings.
The Digital Custody unit was established following Deutsche Börse’s acquisition of Crypto Finance AG in 2021. As Bloomberg reported, Clearstream will offer digital asset custody services through Crypto Finance AG, ensuring that institutions can store cryptocurrencies with the same level of security, transparency, and regulatory oversight as traditional financial instruments.
Clearstream will leverage institutional-grade security protocols and multi-signature wallets to meet the demands of banks, hedge funds, and asset managers. Additionally, with regulatory frameworks becoming clearer, Deutsche Börse’s entry into institutional crypto custody signals a growing acceptance of digital assets within Europe’s financial systems.
Institutional Demand for Bitcoin Rises
As of March 11, institutional interest in Bitcoin continues to rise, with 164 entities holding BTC. Among them, 88 publicly traded companies possess a significant share. MicroStrategy (MSTR) remains the largest corporate holder of Bitcoin since August 11, 2020, currently owning 499,096 BTC, valued at $40.35 billion. The company’s BTC holdings are nearly ten times higher than those of MARA Holdings, which holds 46,374 BTC.
As previously mentioned in our report, Fold has added 475 BTC, worth approximately $41 million, to its treasury. This addition places Fold Holdings among the top 20 U.S. companies with the largest Bitcoin reserves. The growing demand for Bitcoin coincides with a broader shift in global financial dynamics.
Recently, Donald Trump signed an executive order for the strategic Bitcoin reserve establishment. This reserve will hold BTC acquired through criminal and civil asset forfeiture cases, with a strict policy against selling any Bitcoin deposited into it. Notably, the momentum for state-level Bitcoin reserves is also growing. In a February update, we disclosed that 20 out of 50 states have already submitted bills proposing strategic BTC reserves. If all these bills pass, it could lead to a conservative estimate of 247,000 BTC entering the market, further reinforcing Bitcoin’s role in the financial space.
Despite broader market fluctuations, Bitcoin has recorded a 0.62% gain in the past 24 hours, trading at $84,698 at press time, with a market cap of $1.59 trillion. BTC’s trading volume surged by 30.11%, reaching $59 billion, as the market rebounded from an underwhelming weekend.
In contrast, Ethereum has experienced a sharp decline, dropping 7.33% in the past day and 8.79% over the past week. ETH has now fallen below the $2,000 threshold, currently trading at $1,881, reflecting weaker momentum in the altcoin market.
