BNP Paribas Securities Services to develop digital assets custody capabilities through partnerships with METACO and Fireblocks

5 min

BNP Paribas Securities Services has selected two major fintechs – Fireblocks and METACO – to develop its digital asset custody offering and help clients issue, transfer and safekeep regulated digital assets efficiently and securely.

The bank has selected Fireblocks as its hot wallet, tokenization, and connectivity infrastructure layer. As a first step, BNP Paribas Securities Services will use Fireblocks’ solution in their on-going experimentation with the settlement and custody of regulated security tokens. Most recently, BNP Paribas Securities Services leveraged Fireblocks’ solution in a live experiment on the settlement and custody of a non-listed digital bond in the French market.

The bank has also recently selected METACO with the intention to integrate the fintech’s bank-grade digital asset custody and orchestration platform into its existing infrastructure. The platform will underpin the bank’s institutional custody offering and unify governance across its multiple systems, allowing institutional clients to store, issue and settle digital securities alongside their traditional assets.

Commenting, Wayne Hughes, Head of Digital Assets at BNP Paribas Securities Services, said: “These partnerships represent a new milestone for us, allowing us to build a multi-asset, multi-provider platform which, once the regulatory framework allows, will offer full connectivity across traditional and digital assets. Our objective is to offer our clients a single view of all these different types of assets for complete transparency, greater operational efficiency and risk management. Leveraging on the combined expertise of leading technical providers, will allow us to extend our custody offering to a wider scope of regulated digital assets as the market evolves.”

“BNP Paribas Securities Services is a leader in the asset servicing vertical. The team has shown an impressive ability and openness to collaborate alongside key industry players — from fintechs to central banks — to make great strides into the digital asset space,” explained Michael Shaulov, CEO and Co-Founder of Fireblocks. “We’re proud to support the BNP Paribas Securities Services’ team in their digital asset journey to meet the demand of institutional investors everywhere.”      

Adrien Treccani, CEO and Founder of METACO, commented: “BNP Paribas is a distinguished European banking leader, and a leading global custodian. Being selected after a very rigorous process is testament to the strength of the value proposition we bring to global banks. By leveraging METACO, the bank will deploy the industry-standard digital asset custody and orchestration platform for top tier financial institutions, and will be able to offer clients a service underpinned by the highest possible security and scalability, while ensuring full regulatory compliance globally.”



Press Contacts

Securities Services at BNP Paribas

Arnaud Liziard

arnaud.liziard@bnpparibas.com

+33 7 70 11 08 07

BNP Paribas Securities Services on Twitter – @BNPP2S

About BNP Paribas Securities Services (securities.cib.bnpparibas)

BNP Paribas Securities Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of the BNP Paribas Group, is a leading global custodian and securities services provider. Backed by the strength of the BNP Paribas Group, we provide multi-asset post-trade and asset servicing solutions for buy and sell-side market participants, corporates and issuers. With a global reach covering 90+ markets, our network is one of the most extensive in the industry, enabling clients to maximise their investment opportunities worldwide.

About METACO (www.metaco.com)

Founded in 2015 in Switzerland, METACO is a technology company whose mission is to enable financial and non-financial institutions to securely manage their digital asset business and capitalize on the burgeoning digital asset economy.

The company’s core product, Harmonize, is an orchestration system for digital assets. From cryptocurrency custody and trading to tokenization, staking and smart contract management, the platform seamlessly connects institutions to the new world of decentralized finance (DeFi).

METACO has established itself as the Tier 1 banking standard, trusted by and in live production with global custodians, exchanges, private and universal banks. Its software, technology and infrastructure solutions enable financial institutions to store, trade, issue and manage digital assets, with the highest possible security and agility.

About Fireblocks (www.fireblocks.com)

Fireblocks is an enterprise-grade platform delivering a secure infrastructure for moving, storing, and issuing digital assets. Fireblocks enables exchanges, lending desks, custodians, banks, trading desks, and hedge funds to securely scale digital asset operations through the Fireblocks Network and MPC-based Wallet Infrastructure. Fireblocks serves over 1,300 financial institutions, has secured the transfer of over $3 trillion in digital assets and has a unique insurance policy that covers assets in storage & transit. Some of the biggest trading desks have switched to Fireblocks because it’s the only solution that CISOs and Ops Teams both love.

Disclaimer

The information contained within this document (‘information’) is believed to be reliable but BNP Paribas Securities Services does not warrant its completeness or accuracy. Opinions and estimates contained herein constitute BNP Paribas Securities Services’ judgment and are subject to change without notice. BNP Paribas Securities Services and its subsidiaries shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or opinions contained within this document. This material is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument. For the avoidance of doubt, any information contained within this document will not form an agreement between parties. Additional information is available on request.

BNP Paribas Securities Services is incorporated in France as a Partnership Limited by Shares and is authorised and supervised by the European Central Bank (ECB), the ACPR (Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution) and the AMF (Autorité des Marchés Financiers).

In the UK, BNP Paribas Securities Services is authorised and regulated by the European Central Bank and the Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution. Deemed authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and with deemed variation of permission. Subject to regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and limited regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Details of the Temporary Permissions Regime, which allows EEA-based firms to operate in the UK for a limited period while seeking full authorisation, are available on the Financial Conduct Authority’s website. BNP Paribas Securities Services London Branch is registered in the UK under number FC023666. UK establishment number: BR006393. UK establishment office address: 10 Harewood Avenue, London NW1 6AA.

In the U.S., BNP Paribas Securities Services is a business line of BNP Paribas which is incorporated in France with limited liability. Services provided under this business line, including the services described in this document, if offered in the U.S., are offered through BNP Paribas acting through its New York Branch (which is duly authorised and licensed by the State of New York Department of Financial Services) or BNP Paribas Financial Services LLC, a limited liability company organised under the laws of the State of Delaware; if a securities product, through BNP Paribas Securities Corp. which is a broker-dealer registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and a member of SIPC and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority; or if a futures product through BNP Paribas Securities Corp., a Futures Commission Merchant registered with the Commodities Futures Trading Commission and a member of the National Futures Association.