BNY is launching institutional Bitcoin and Ether custody from Abu Dhabi’s ADGM with Finstreet and ADI, paving the way for stablecoin and tokenized‑asset support.
Summary
- BNY has launched institutional-grade digital asset custody in Abu Dhabi Global Market, initially covering Bitcoin and Ethereum for regional clients.
- The world’s largest custodian, overseeing $59.4 trillion in assets, plans to extend the platform to stablecoins and tokenized real‑world assets, deepening traditional finance’s regulated crypto footprint in the Gulf.
- The move is structured through a collaboration with Finstreet Limited and ADI Foundation, embedding digital assets into a “sovereign‑grade” infrastructure aligned with Abu Dhabi’s ambitions as a digital asset hub.
BNY plants a digital asset flag in ADGM
BNY has announced the launch of institutional digital asset custody services anchored in Abu Dhabi Global Market, positioning itself as the first U.S. global systemically important bank to offer crypto custody from the UAE’s financial free zone. According to a press release cited by Yahoo, the platform will initially support custody for Bitcoin and Ethereum, with expansion into stablecoins and tokenized real‑world assets planned once the service is live and regulatory approvals are secured.
The initiative is being delivered through a three‑way collaboration with Finstreet Limited and ADI Foundation. Finstreet, a digital market infrastructure group and Abu Dhabi–based multilateral trading facility operator, and ADI Foundation, described as a “sovereign‑grade blockchain infrastructure organization,” will provide the on‑the‑ground rails, while BNY supplies its global custody stack.
From $59.4T custody scale to UAE’s crypto hub
BNY, which oversees $59.4 trillion in assets under custody and/or administration and $2.1 trillion in assets under management as of March 31, 2026, is pitching the ADGM build‑out as a way to “localize and elevate” institutional crypto custody in the region. In remarks quoted by MEXC, regional executive Hani Kablawi said the UAE is entering “a new phase of financial development, characterized by deeper markets, greater digital sophistication and stronger global connectivity,” and argued the collaboration will “connect traditional and digital financial ecosystems.”
The custody service will start with segregated storage and governance for BTC and ETH, giving funds, banks and family offices in the Gulf a regulated way to hold flagship crypto assets without managing keys themselves. Over time, the partners plan to add support for stablecoins and tokenized assets, reflecting the same tokenization trend covered in a recent crypto.news story on DTCC’s push to bring more than 50 global institutions into a tokenized securities platform.
Abu Dhabi’s ADGM has emerged as one of the most permissive but structured jurisdictions for digital assets, attracting exchanges, tokenization platforms and infrastructure providers that want clear rules rather than regulatory ambiguity. Earlier crypto.news coverage framed BNY’s Abu Dhabi move as “bringing $59T custody power” into the emirate’s crypto build‑out, while other pieces on tokenized stocks and rails show how custody, tokenization and trading are converging into a single, regulated stack for institutions moving into digital assets.
