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In just over one year since launch, Coinbase Custody has grown to over $7 billion in Assets Under Custody stored on behalf of more than 120 clients in 14 different countries, making it the largest institutional custodian in the world.

There's an arms race afoot over who can store cryptocurrency safest.

Crypto exchange Kraken has acquired Interchange, an accounting, reconciliation and reporting service provider that it says offers an "institutional-grade" service.

The handful of U.S. banks willing to serve the crypto sector includes Silvergate in California and Signature and Metropolitan Commercial in New York. Like those institutions, Quontic is a relative pipsqueak in the banking industry

Cryptocurrency custody firm Prime Trust is strengthening its solution to protect digital assets it holds in custody from potential hacks and thefts. Prime Trust has partnered with Fidelity-backed crypto security firm Fireblocks for the initiative.

For anyone working in the digital assets space - be it cryptocurrencies or asset tokenization - the question of how the custody industry can evolve to support digital assets is still unresolved. The starting point perhaps should be: What do we actually mean by digital custody?

Gemini Trust Co., the custodial arm of the twins' crypto exchange, said it will allow users to instantly access funds equal to the amount of coins kept off-line, or cold storage.

Gemini Trust Company, a regulated custodian overseen by the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS), now offers "Gemini Custody," a platform which would enable clients to trade assets instantly by offering them credits.

Custodial solutions are important for financial markets, whether traditional or innovative, and have been historically limited for Bitcoin. But why do institutional investors need custodial services, and what are the unique challenges of Bitcoin custody?

The U.S. SEC has begun proceedings to determine whether it should approve a proposed bitcoin ETF. It has begun evaluating the proposed rule change to allow NYSE Arca to list and trade shares of Wilshire Phoenix's Bitcoin and Treasury Investment Trust.

The physically delivered Bitcoin futures by ICE-backed Bakkt has been finally launched. However, in the first 30 minutes of listing only 3 BTC has been traded, although after about 12 hours 28 BTC had been traded.

Intercontinental Exchange's (ICE) Bakkt platform has traded 71 Bitcoin (BTC) futures contracts in the first 24 hours following its launch on Sept. 22.

While the premium in GBTC has usually increased after private placement events and especially during Bitcoin price rallies, it's possible that the GBTC and Bitcoin price will see a narrower gap from now on. As new options for institutional investors appear in the market, competition may drive these premiums down.

Investors in Grayscale's Bitcoin and Ethereum Trusts are feeling the sting of exceptionally high premiums. But with rates reaching as high as 426% for Ethereum, are they justified in exchange for security and exposure?

While many retail investors sold their Bitcoin holdings either partially or fully, the crypto market has been dragged down by institutional or professional investors, according to data provided by Chainalysis.

Grayscale operates an Ethereum Trust focused on institutional investors. In 2020, it has been building up its Ethereum holdings at a faster rate. It has purchased an amount of Ethereum equivalent to half of the new supply of coins in 2020.

The Chicago Board Options Exchange filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to list the Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) proposed by asset manager, Van Eck. In January, Van Eck filed for SEC approval of a Bitcoin ETF. Van Eck had previously unsuccessfully filed for a Bitcoin ETF in 2017. The firm also teamed up with SolidX - to file for a jointly issued ETF in 2018. The joint application was withdrawn in September 2019. the SEC is yet to approve any crypto ETF product.

Grayscale Investments has posted at least nine exchange-traded dund (ETF) related positions to LinkedIn. Though Grayscale has filed to create an ETF in the past, the firm doesn't currently have an active filing with the SEC for a Bitcoin or crypto-related ETF. But the firm could roll its $35 billion Bitcoin Trust, the largest Bitcoin fund, into an ETF. The job postings currently listed on LinkedIn include an ETF market maker relationship manager, ETF finance reporting manager, ETF finance support manager, ETF creation and redemption specialist, ETF authorized participant relationship manager, ETF product development specialist, a compliance officer and two sales director positions.

Valkyrie Digital Assets has filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)for a new exchange-traded fund (ETF) that would invest in companies that hold bitcoin on their balance sheets. The Valkyrie Innovative Balance Sheet ETF will invest in companies that directly or indirectly invest in, transact in, or otherwise have exposure to bitcoin or operate in the bitcoin ecosystem.

There is one other thing that GBTC can do according to its Trust Agreement, which is process redemptions. They have the language in there that suggests they could take a bunch of shares from Authorized Participants, and in return, give them back Bitcoin. That would, in essence, make GBTC a kind of ETF. But they can't actually do that because in 2014-2016 when they actually tried to use this feature, they got their hand slapped by the SEC, paid a fine, and shut it down until they get new approval. It's been 5 years. I think we can assume it's not coming.