What Are Cryptocurrency Custody Solutions?

Why Does Crypto Need Custody Solutions? 

The main utility of cryptocurrency custody solutions lies within the safeguarding of cryptocurrency assets. Private keys, which are wont to conduct transactions or access crypto holdings, are a posh combination of alphanumerics. they're extremely difficult to recollect and Cryptocurrency Press Release Distribution may be stolen or hacked. Online wallets are a possible solution but they need also proven vulnerable to hacks. an equivalent is true of cryptocurrency exchanges. 

Other solutions include storing private keys offline, on paper or a tough disk (or other electronic equipment) that's not connected to the web . But losing physical custody (or either the paper or electronic equipment) may be a real possibility, and in those cases recovery of the cryptocurrency holdings are often impossible. For individual holders of bitcoin, the likelihood of losing private keys may be a risk; for institutional investors, though, it represents a good more significant risk. The latter attend extreme lengths to protect against this danger. Some major investors have even been known to distribute portions of a paper wallet across numerous storage units in several locations.

The other important reason for the existence of cryptocurrency custody solutions is regulation. consistent with SEC regulation promulgated as a part of the Dodd Frank Act, institutional investors that have customer assets worth more $150,000 are required to store the holdings with a œqualified custodian." The SEC's definition of such entities includes banks and savings associations and registered broker-dealers. Futures commission merchants Blockchain Press Release Distribution and foreign financial institutions also are included during this definition. Within the cryptocurrency ecosystem, only a few mainstream banks offer custodian services. Kingdom Trust, a Kentucky-based custodian, was the most important such service for cryptocurrencies until it had been purchased by BitGo, a San Francisco-based startup. 

What Are Cryptocurrency Custody Solutions? 

Put simply, cryptocurrency custody solutions are third party providers of storage and security services for cryptocurrencies. Their services are mainly aimed toward institutional investors, like hedge funds, who hold large amounts of bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. The solutions generally incorporate a mixture of hot storage, or crypto custody with connection to the web , and cold storage, or crypto custody that's disconnected from the web . 

Both sorts of storage have benefits and disadvantages . for instance , hot storage is connected to the web and, as a result, offers easier liquidity. But hot storage options could also be susceptible to hacks thanks to online exposure. Cold storage solutions offer greater security. However, it's going to be difficult to get liquidity from crypto holdings on short notice due to their offline nature. Vault storage may be a Bitcoin Press Release Distribution Services combination of both sorts of cryptocurrency custody solutions during which the bulk of funds are stored offline and may be accessed only employing a private key.

Big Players in Cryptocurrency Custody

One of the emergent major players within the cryptocurrency custody space is Coinbase, the favored digital currency exchange. Coinbase entered the institutional-grade custody solutions area relatively recently, buying up acquisitions like California's Keystone Capital, a registered broker. In August of 2019, Coinbase acquired the institutional business of storage provider Xapo also . Swiss bank Vontobel also launched a Digital Asset Vault aimed toward institutional investors within the crypto space also .

The Future Of Cryptocurrency Custody

Cryptocurrency custody solutions have grown in popularity as analysts and institutional investors have increasingly viewed them as a bridge between ICO Press Release Distribution service the normal institutional investment market and therefore the shifting cryptocurrency space. a minimum of two developments are expected to affect the longer term of cryptocurrency custody. 

The first one is that the entry of massive players. Established names, like Goldman Sachs (GS), are conspicuously absent from the list of names offering cryptocurrency solutions. Their entry could shake up the nascent market. a number of that's already happening with Coinbase and Fidelity Investments taking the lead in offering or designing cryptocurrency custody services. 

The other is regulatory clarity. Security provisions concerning cryptocurrency storage is absent from current regulation. Not only that, businesses are still unclear about the regulations concerning cryptocurrencies themselves. The industry will evolve only after regulators step in and set rules for the playing field.