# Custody Related Articles

HTX News Center provides the latest articles and in-depth analysis on "Custody", covering market trends, project updates, tech developments, and regulatory policies in the crypto industry.

Patrick Witt Teases ‘Breakthrough’ On US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve

White House digital-assets official Patrick Witt indicated an upcoming announcement on the U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, calling recent progress a "breakthrough" in establishing a legally sound and operationally secure framework. He clarified the focus is on implementation, custody, and interagency coordination for Bitcoin already held by the government, not confirming a new open-market purchase program. Witt emphasized the need for robust safeguards, citing past asset thefts, and expressed a desire to codify the reserve into law through pending legislation rather than relying on reversible executive orders. He framed the reserve as part of a broader U.S. strategy to lead in global digital asset financial infrastructure.

bitcoinist23h ago

Patrick Witt Teases ‘Breakthrough’ On US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve

bitcoinist23h ago

Five Counterparty Risk Architectures: A Settlement-Layer Methodology for Classifying TradFi Models in Crypto Exchanges

**Summary:** This companion piece reframes the five TradFi-on-crypto exchange architectures, previously classified by "architectural fingerprint," through the lens of counterparty risk. The core question is: whose balance sheet bears the loss first in a stress scenario, and has it historically done so? Each of the five models corresponds to a distinct risk holder with its own documented failure modes. * **Model 1 (Stablecoin-Settled CEX Perpetuals):** Risk is held by the stablecoin issuer (e.g., reserve composition, bank connectivity) and the CEX's own book. History includes Tether's banking disconnections (2017) and reserve misrepresentations (CFTC 2021 Order). * **Model 2 (CFD Brokers):** Risk resides on the broker's balance sheet (B-book model). Regulatory differences (e.g., ESMA's mandatory negative balance protection vs. Mauritius FSC's lack thereof) define loss allocation rules, as seen in the 2015 SNB event (Alpari UK insolvency). * **Model 3 (Off-Chain Custody & Transfer Agent Chain):** Risk lies with the off-chain custodian/platform. User asset recovery depends on Terms of Use and corporate structure, exemplified by the Celsius bankruptcy ruling (2023) where Earn Account assets were deemed property of the estate. * **Model 4 (DEX Perpetual Protocols):** No single balance sheet bears risk. Loss absorption relies on a protocol's insurance fund and Auto-Deleveraging (ADL) mechanism, as demonstrated in the GMX V1 (2022) and dYdX v3 YFI (2023) incidents. * **Model 5 (Regulated CCP - DCM-DCO-FCM):** The most institutionalized model concentrates risk in the Central Counterparty (CCP). However, history shows CCPs can employ non-standard tools under extreme stress, such as mass trade cancellation (LME Nickel, 2022) or enabling negative price settlements (CME WTI, 2020). The report argues that regulatory choices and counterparty risk structures are co-extensive, not in an upstream-downstream relationship. It concludes with five separate observation checklists (not predictions) for monitoring the structural vulnerabilities of each risk model.

marsbit05/12 00:06

Five Counterparty Risk Architectures: A Settlement-Layer Methodology for Classifying TradFi Models in Crypto Exchanges

marsbit05/12 00:06

MultiBank Group’s crypto arm mb.io brings Ghana gold on-chain with Kings Orbis, EON3 & Mavryk

MultiBank Group's crypto arm mb.io has partnered with Kings Orbis, EON3 Group, and Mavryk to launch an institutional gold tokenization program for physically-backed gold sourced from West Africa. The program will make Ashanti gold accessible to global investors in a digital, fractional, and regulated format. Each token represents direct ownership of the underlying physical gold, which will be vaulted in Dubai under LBMA-approved custody. The initiative includes tokenizing a curated collection of "Gold Art" to honor the cultural legacy of the Ashanti Kingdom. mb.io RWA will serve as the regulated marketplace, Kings Orbis as program coordinator, EON3 as the dedicated supply partner, and Mavryk as the Layer 1 blockchain and tech infrastructure provider. The partners announced the collaboration at the World Peace Summit in Ghana, receiving support from His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene.

TheNewsCrypto05/11 18:12

MultiBank Group’s crypto arm mb.io brings Ghana gold on-chain with Kings Orbis, EON3 & Mavryk

TheNewsCrypto05/11 18:12

BNY Partners with Key Companies to Expand Crypto Custody in the UAE

BNY, the world's largest custodian bank, has announced a strategic collaboration with Finstreet Limited and ADI Foundation to establish regulated, institutional-grade digital asset custody infrastructure in the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). This marks the first time a U.S. global systemically important bank has introduced crypto custody services to the UAE. The initiative will begin with Bitcoin and Ethereum custody, with plans to expand into stablecoins, tokenized assets, and other regulated digital instruments, subject to final agreements and regulatory approvals. BNY provides its global custody expertise, Finstreet contributes its licensed digital market ecosystem within ADGM, and ADI Foundation supplies sovereign-grade blockchain infrastructure via its ADI Chain. Choosing ADGM as the anchor jurisdiction underscores its institutional-grade regulatory framework under English common law. The move aligns with the UAE's broader efforts to build sovereign digital currency infrastructure, including a regulated dirham-backed stablecoin. BNY's entry signals that regulated digital asset infrastructure in the Gulf is now a present reality, positioning Abu Dhabi as a key hub for institutional crypto adoption and future financial innovation.

bitcoinist05/08 11:09

BNY Partners with Key Companies to Expand Crypto Custody in the UAE

bitcoinist05/08 11:09

Verifiable Bitcoin Accounts for Institutional Bitcoin. Your Custody, Your Terms.

Threshold Network has launched Verifiable Bitcoin Accounts (VBA), a new institutional Bitcoin framework built on its existing signer infrastructure, which has processed over $5 billion with zero losses. VBA uses Bitcoin Script and PSBTs to define preauthorized spending paths, signer combinations, timelocks, and recovery routes. It allows institutions to engage in onchain lending and yield strategies while maintaining their current custody setups—including Qualified Custodians, MPC networks, or self-custody—without transferring asset title. VBA ensures consensus-enforced spending, multi-party controls, predefined recovery options, and whitelisted deployment into approved platforms like Aave and Curve. Every transaction is verifiable onchain, reducing reliance on trust and enabling institutional-scale Bitcoin adoption through enforceable, auditable operations. Available to qualified participants, VBA extends Threshold’s proven infrastructure to meet institutional standards for security and compliance.

TheNewsCrypto04/23 17:50

Verifiable Bitcoin Accounts for Institutional Bitcoin. Your Custody, Your Terms.

TheNewsCrypto04/23 17:50

Can You Really 'Get' Your Gold? The Custodial Geography Blind Spot Behind Tokenized Gold

The article challenges the common perception that tokenized gold is a globally uniform asset class, arguing that its true value and functionality are intrinsically tied to the physical location and legal jurisdiction where the underlying gold is stored. Unlike stablecoins, whose value is based on fungible financial assets like treasury bills, tokenized gold represents a legal claim to a specific physical asset in a specific location. This makes the geography of custody not a minor detail, but a core component of the asset itself. The price stability of a tokenized gold product is maintained not by technology, but by arbitrage mechanisms that require the efficient, low-cost redemption of physical gold. This arbitrage is only feasible if the gold is stored in the same region as the user, avoiding complex cross-border logistics, legal hurdles, and delays that can erase profit margins. Consequently, the credibility of a product's price peg depends on the efficiency of its local redemption infrastructure. The author posits that tokenized gold will not converge into a single global market but will instead become regionalized. For institutional users in places like Singapore or Hong Kong, gold stored locally—within their familiar legal, regulatory, and market infrastructure—is a fundamentally different and more usable asset than gold stored in London or Zurich. This local embeddedness is critical for practical uses like serving as collateral or passing regulatory audits. The central question for investors shifts from "Is this token backed by gold?" to "Can I actually *get* the gold when it matters?" The article concludes that the ultimate test of a tokenized gold product is not its stated backing but its practical accessibility within the user's own market and legal system during a crisis.

marsbit04/21 08:40

Can You Really 'Get' Your Gold? The Custodial Geography Blind Spot Behind Tokenized Gold

marsbit04/21 08:40

Dogecoin Gold Plans Revealed As DOGE Jumps Past $0.10—Here’s What To Know

Nevada-based Dogecoin Cash Inc. has proposed "Dogecoin Gold," a blockchain project aiming to link digital tokens to physical gold reserves. Each token would represent a precise amount of gold, with one billion tokens equaling one gram. Gold would be held by an institutional custodian, and token issuance would be tied directly to gold deposits and redemptions. The goal is to combine commodity-backed assets with blockchain transparency for easier digital access and precise accounting. However, the project is still in evaluation—no tokens have been issued, and no decisions have been made on technical design, custody, regulation, or launch timing. The announcement came as DOGE surpassed $0.10, marking a 15% two-week recovery.

bitcoinist04/18 14:32

Dogecoin Gold Plans Revealed As DOGE Jumps Past $0.10—Here’s What To Know

bitcoinist04/18 14:32

Massive XRP Adoption Trend Paints The Most Bullish Picture Yet

While XRP's price action has shown red monthly candles, a massive institutional foundation is being assembled around Ripple, the XRP Ledger, and its new stablecoin, RLUSD. Ripple is evolving beyond cross-border payments, building a full end-to-end treasury ecosystem. Its ClearConnect API integrates with major enterprise platforms like SAP and Oracle, bridging traditional financial rails with XRP settlement and digital asset capabilities. The adoption extends to RLUSD, a NYDFS-regulated stablecoin, and Ripple Prime, a brokerage service clearing over $3 trillion annually for 300+ institutional clients like Deutsche Bank. Ripple's custody solutions are also being used by major financial players. These developments, the product of a decade of building, are converging to create a highly bullish picture for 2026.

bitcoinist04/17 05:01

Massive XRP Adoption Trend Paints The Most Bullish Picture Yet

bitcoinist04/17 05:01

Ripple Lands Major Korea Deal With Top Insurance Giant Kyobo

Ripple has partnered with Kyobo Life Insurance, one of Korea's largest insurers, to develop the country's first tokenized government bond settlement workflow on blockchain. The collaboration will utilize Ripple Custody to hold, transfer, and settle transactions within a regulated framework, aiming to replace manual process with on-chain execution that could compress the standard two-day settlement cycle to near real-time. This initiative is positioned as infrastructure for a broader institutional stack. Both companies aim to assess the technical and regulatory feasibility, reduce counterparty risk, and explore stablecoin-based payment rails for 24/7 transactions. Ripple described this as a strategic entry into Korea's institutional financial market and a signal that proven digital asset infrastructure is ready for deployment.

bitcoinist04/16 06:29

Ripple Lands Major Korea Deal With Top Insurance Giant Kyobo

bitcoinist04/16 06:29

Franklin Templeton's Latest Research: How to Understand RWA Tokenization

Franklin Templeton's research explores the rapid growth and structural evolution of real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, which has expanded from $5 billion in 2023 to over $25 billion by early 2026. This surge is driven by clearer regulations and greater trust in blockchain technology. RWA tokenization covers assets like stocks, bonds, commodities, and real estate, distinguishing them from native cryptocurrencies. The market saw a turning point as tokenization expanded from government bonds to equities, with early movers like Robinhood, Kraken, and Ondo launching tokenized stock offerings. Traditional institutions, including DTCC, NYSE, and Nasdaq, have since announced significant tokenization initiatives, signaling a major shift in securities processing. The article identifies three tokenization models: 1. **Digital Native Tokens**: Direct ownership of the underlying asset with on-chain settlement (e.g., Franklin Templeton’s money market fund). 2. **Synthetic Asset Tokens**: Indirect economic exposure via special purpose vehicles, allowing broader DeFi utility but limited investor rights. 3. **Digital Mirror Tokens**: Tokenized receipts of off-chain assets, with legacy settlement systems and restricted transferability. Synthetic tokens are permissionless, requiring only KYT checks, while digital native and mirror tokens require full KYC/AML compliance. Each model offers distinct advantages in transparency, utility, and efficiency compared to traditional systems. Tokenization is driving convergence between crypto and traditional finance, with wallets emerging as a universal financial interface.

marsbit04/14 11:35

Franklin Templeton's Latest Research: How to Understand RWA Tokenization