HEUKING advises dwpbank on MiCAR notification regarding crypto custody
A HEUKING team led by Dr. Dr. Johannes Blassl advised Deutsche WertpapierService Bank AG (dwpbank), a leading provider of securities services in Germany, in a BaFin licensing procedure to commence crypto-asset services. Following the successful notification of crypto asset trading in December 2025, dwpbank can now also custody crypto assets for retail clients in compliance with MiCAR (crypto custody).
With wpNex, dwpbank has been offering its client institutions a production-ready solution for trading digital assets since the summer of 2024. This solution combines trading, custody, settlement, and central regulatory processes into a single integrated platform. Thanks to its leading and well-established market access, dwpbank is helping to fully integrate crypto trading services into the broader German banking landscape. This allows custody account holders at banks and savings banks to invest in crypto assets directly within their familiar banking environment, as well as view and manage both traditional and digital assets in a single, centralized location.
HEUKING provided comprehensive advice to dwpbank as part of the notification process and the launch of crypto asset trading, including crypto custody. This underscores HEUKING's role as a legal advisor to banks on crypto-related matters. Established banks and crypto-asset service providers such as dwpbank rely on Johannes Blassl when expanding into new crypto-based business areas.
The team led by the Frankfurt partner regularly advises banks across practice groups on the legally compliant establishment of crypto-based business models.
Counsel to Deutsche WertpapierService Bank AG
HEUKING:
Dr. Dr. Johannes Blassl (Lead, Capital Markets Law, Frankfurt)
Dr. Christoph Gringel (Capital Markets Law, Frankfurt)
Dr. Alexander Rüter (Capital Markets Law, Frankfurt)
Dr. Susanne Stauder (Compliance & Internal Investigations, Düsseldorf)
Dr. Lutz Martin Keppeler (Data Protection & Data Law, Cologne)
Sven Johannsen (Capital Markets Law, Hamburg)
