In another year that has seen the global digital assets landscape evolve significantly, DBS Private Bank led the industry. The bank delivered a digital assets proposition distinguished not only by scale, security and sophistication but by its institutional maturity, first mover advantage and deep integration into the bank’s broader wealth management architecture.
While many traditional private banks remain tentative or fragmented in their approach to digital assets, DBS has built a full spectrum ecosystem that combines bank grade custody, institutional level trading infrastructure, tokenisation capability, 24/7 liquidity access, and connection into private wealth services and legacy planning. This makes DBS a uniquely comprehensive digital assets institution on the global stage.
DBS’s digital assets leadership is the product of more than a decade of foundational investment in digital transformation. The bank’s broader reputation as one of the world’s most technologically advanced financial institutions created a platform capable of continuously adapting to industry shifts and deploying innovations at scale. This digital capability has enabled DBS to create DDEx, Asia’s first bank backed digital exchange.
The numbers underscore the scale and momentum. In the first half of 2025 alone, DBS’s ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) and high-net-worth (HNW) clients traded more than US$1.4 billion in cryptocurrencies and US$1 billion in crypto linked instruments, with total 2025 trading volumes up fivefold over the same period just two years prior in 2023. The number of clients actively trading digital assets nearly doubled year on year, with UHNW/HNW participation expanding two and a half times. This adoption by the bank’s clients is driven by confidence in DBS’s infrastructure, governance and risk frameworks.
As the only bank offering a fully integrated digital asset ecosystem – with our own exchange, institutional-grade custody and integrated ‘One Bank’ capabilities from tokenisation to legacy planning – DBS has built a true first-mover advantage that keeps us ahead of the competition
James Tan
“As the only bank offering a fully integrated digital asset ecosystem – with our own exchange, institutional-grade custody and integrated ‘One Bank’ capabilities from tokenisation to legacy planning – DBS has built a true first-mover advantage that keeps us ahead of the competition,” says James Tan, group head, investment product and advisory, at DBS Bank.
A particularly distinguishing feature of DBS’s proposition is its institutional grade custody, long recognised as the missing link for serious digital assets investors. While many crypto native platforms rely on partially hot wallet systems, DBS offers 100% air gapped, cold storage custody, incorporating strict cryptographic key management controls across generation, handling and storage.
DDEx is a standout global platform – secure, mature and tested since its 2021 launch. Its institutional grade trading framework, combined with connectivity to the bank’s digibank platform, gives private banking clients round the clock trading access, 24/7 dealer support for large ticket trades and the ability to integrate digital asset holdings directly into wealth and legacy plans. This distinguishes DDEx from both traditional private banks – most of which lack such infrastructure – and from crypto native exchanges, which cannot match DBS’s regulatory standing or integrated wealth planning capabilities. These differentiators became particularly visible during periods of weekend market volatility, where DBS clients – unlike exchange-traded fund (ETF) only investors – could act immediately rather than wait for markets to reopen.
No longer a fringe investment
DBS is also playing an active role in shaping the future of digital asset banking through tokenisation and product innovation. During the review period, the bank has made preparatory efforts to introduce tokenised gold offerings and evaluating tokenised access to private markets. These initiatives aim at opening new paths for liquidity, fractional ownership and cross asset efficiency. DBS already offers options strategies on cryptocurrencies and crypto ETF linked notes, expanding the toolkit beyond simple spot trading into yield generation and structured solutions.
Crucially, DBS is the first and only bank in Singapore to integrate digital assets into legacy and succession planning, with DBS Trustee becoming the world’s first bank backed trust capable of holding digital assets. This reflects DBS’s recognition that digital assets are no longer a fringe allocation but a core component of the wealth portfolio – especially for the next generation.
DBS’s leadership extends beyond products into operational and regulatory sophistication. The bank offers tax aware trading guidance, supports cross jurisdictional investment considerations and is actively preparing loan to value (LTV) capabilities that will enable clients to borrow against digital assets – further mainstreaming crypto within diversified portfolios. It has also developed research capabilities, providing target price insights and forward looking analysis to help clients navigate digital assets markets with institutional clarity.
DBS’s 24/7 human supported dealing model is another defining strength, a capability few crypto native platform provides. Older or less tech comfortable clients may still execute through dealer support, ensuring inclusivity across generations and client profiles. This combination of digital accessibility, human advisory and institutional security positions DBS uniquely at the intersection of tradition and innovation.
DBS’s digital assets strategy is not opportunistic – it is the culmination of sustained investment, governance, institutional alignment and a clear strategic belief in the long term significance of digital assets within global wealth management. The result is a world leading ecosystem that delivers trust, liquidity, security and integration unmatched in the private banking industry today. Throughout the review period, the bank set the global standard in regulated digital assets infrastructure for private banking customers and integrated digital assets seamlessly into the fabric of private wealth, making DBS Private Bank the clear winner of the inaugural Euromoney award for world’s best for digital assets.
