Anchorage Digital is the custodian to start with for US institutions: Anchorage Digital Bank holds an OCC federal bank charter, granted in 2021. Most custodians do not publish prices; Fireblocks and Cobo do, at $999 and $299 a month for their entry plans. This list covers business custody of digital assets, not personal wallets.
Quick answer
Choose Anchorage Digital or BitGo if you need a federally chartered qualified custodian in the US. Choose Fireblocks or Cobo if you want to run your own wallets on a platform with published monthly pricing.
- 01Anchorage Digital: Best federal bank charter
- 02BitGo: best for insurance cover
- 03Gemini: Best published minimum
- 04Paxos: best for stablecoin issuers
- 05Fireblocks: Best wallet platform
The 8 best crypto custody providers
#1A
Best federal bank charter
Anchorage Digital Bank, National Association holds an OCC federal bank charter, granted in 2021. Its custody page cites SOC 1 and SOC 2 Type II audited controls, and states that custodied assets are not covered by FDIC or SIPC insurance.
- Platforms
- Web, API
- Company
- Anchor Labs, Inc.; founded 2017 in San Francisco
- Launched
- Federal bank charter granted 2021
- Pricing
- Porto self-custody: Starter $750/mo, Advanced $1,500/mo, Enterprise custom; custody and trading fees not published
- Security audits
- SOC 1 and SOC 2 Type II audited controls
Pros
- First crypto-native company with a federal bank charter (2021)
- USD accounts, wires and ACH from a chartered bank
- Stablecoin issuance for banks and companies
Cons
- Institutional clients only
- Custody and trading fees are not published
- Services are split across several subsidiaries
Skip it if you want a published price list: Anchorage's custody page gives no fees.
BitGo operates BitGo Bank & Trust, N.A. under the OCC and a New York trust company regulated by NYDFS. Its qualified custody page states $250M of insurance for assets in qualified custody.
- Platforms
- Web, API, SDK
- Company
- BitGo, Inc. (NYSE: BTGO), founded 2013 by Mike Belshe
- US availability
- BitGo Bank & Trust, N.A. (OCC); NY trust company regulated by NYDFS; money transmitter licenses in certain states, others pending
- Fees
- Custody fee in bps on average monthly USD balance; fees only on outgoing transfers outside your enterprise; rates set per agreement
- Security audits
- Third-party audits including SOC attestations; $250M insurance where BitGo Bank & Trust holds all keys
Pros
- National trust bank charter from the OCC
- Licensed entities in the US, Singapore, UAE and Switzerland
- Self-custody hot and cold wallets alongside qualified custody
Cons
- Not a SIPC or FINRA member; custodied assets are not FDIC insured
- Aimed at institutions, not retail users
- Money transmitter licenses still pending in some US states
Skip it if you need money transmitter coverage in every state: BitGo lists some licenses as pending.
Gemini Custody is run by a New York limited purpose trust company and qualified custodian. Its page lists 100+ custody assets, $125M in digital asset insurance and a minimum fee of $30 per asset per month.
- US availability
- All 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico
- Trading fees
- 0.60% maker / 1.20% taker
- Simple buy fee
- Varies, shown before you confirm
- Debit card purchase
- 3.49% of the purchase (debit card)
- Coins available (US)
- 79 listed for trading; some not available in New York
Pros
- Available in all 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico
- Public company that files with the SEC
- ActiveTrader fees fall to 0% / 0.02% at high volume
Cons
- High entry fees on ActiveTrader: 0.60% maker / 1.20% taker
- $37M NYDFS fine over Gemini Earn (2024)
- Instant-buy fee is not published as a fixed rate
Skip it if you need a federal charter: Gemini's custody is chartered in New York.
#4P
Best for stablecoin issuers
Paxos received the first NYDFS limited purpose trust charter for digital assets in 2015. Paxos Trust Company, N.A. has been under OCC oversight since 2025.
- Chains
- Ethereum, Solana, Ink, Mantle, X Layer and other public blockchains
- Platforms
- API
- Launched
- 2015, first NYDFS limited purpose trust charter for digital assets
- Company
- Paxos Trust Company, N.A., under OCC oversight since 2025
- Fees
- No public rate card; zero fees to convert PYUSD to USD with PayPal and Paxos
Pros
- First NYDFS trust charter for digital assets, in 2015
- Issuer of PYUSD for PayPal
- Licensed as a major payments institution in Singapore
Cons
- Business-only; no retail accounts
- Pricing is not published
- End users reach it only through partner platforms
Skip it if you want a published price: we found none on Paxos's homepage.
Fireblocks is a wallet and key management platform rather than a qualified custodian. Essentials costs $999 a month, with a 0.20% overage above $1,000,000 in quarterly outbound volume, and covers 80+ blockchains. A developer sandbox is free.
- Chains
- 80+ EVM and non-EVM blockchains
- Platforms
- Web, API, SDK
- Custody
- Self-custody
- Pricing
- Essentials $999/month (up to 6 months); Pro, Enterprise, Enterprise+ from $36,000/year
- Fees
- 0.20% overage above $1,000,000 quarterly outbound volume (Essentials)
Pros
- Published entry plan: $999 per month
- Free developer sandbox for API and SDK testing
- 80+ blockchains and 30+ connected exchanges
Cons
- Essentials caps outbound volume at $1,000,000 per quarter
- 0.20% overage fee above the volume cap
- Pro and Enterprise pricing only by sales quote
Skip it if you need a regulated third party to hold assets for you: Fireblocks gives you the tools, not a trust charter.
Cobo publishes its pricing: Starter $299 a month and Standard $999 a month, with outgoing volume overage of 0.20% on Starter and 0.16% on Standard. It lists 80+ chains and 3,000+ tokens.
- Chains
- 80+ chains
- Platforms
- Web, API, SDK
- Custody
- Custodial
- Pricing
- Starter $299/month; Standard $999/month; Enterprise by quote
- Fees
- Outgoing volume overage 0.20% (Starter), 0.16% (Standard)
Pros
- Published pricing: Starter $299/month, Standard $999/month
- SOC 2 Type II certified and ISO 27001 compliant
- States zero breaches since 2017
Cons
- Starter plan caps outgoing volume at $300K, then 0.20%
- Custodial wallets only on the Enterprise plan
- Extra users cost $100 each
Skip it if you need a US-chartered custodian: we did not find a US charter on Cobo's pages.
zerohash is a Chicago company founded in 2017 that runs crypto custody and trading behind other apps. It is a FinCEN-registered MSB and a money transmitter in 51 US jurisdictions (NMLS ID 1699379).
- Platforms
- API
- Company
- zerohash llc, Chicago, IL; NMLS ID 1699379
- US availability
- FinCEN-registered MSB; money transmitter in 53 US jurisdictions; New York BitLicense
- Pricing
- Not published; quoted by a zerohash representative
- Fees
- Set by the platform as spread plus up to 5 fees per order; spread and fees capped at 7.5% in New York
Pros
- Money transmitter coverage in 53 US jurisdictions
- Holds a New York BitLicense
- One API for buy and sell, staking, payouts and tokenization
Cons
- Business-only; no direct consumer accounts
- Pricing is not published as a rate card
- Custody sits with zerohash, not the end user
Skip it if you are an investor looking for a custody account: zerohash sells to businesses.
#8B
Best for broker platforms
Bakkt Financial Solutions I, LLC holds money transmitter licenses in 40+ US jurisdictions and New York virtual currency license #0000054 (NMLS ID 1890144).
- Platforms
- API
- Company
- Bakkt Financial Solutions I, LLC (formerly Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC), NMLS ID 1890144
- US availability
- Money transmitter licenses in 40 US jurisdictions; NY virtual currency license #0000054
- Security audits
- SOC 1 Type 2 and SOC 2 Type 2; annual third-party penetration testing
- Fees
- Fee schedule shown after login on the platform; fee and spread disclosed before you confirm
Pros
- Money transmitter licenses in over 40 US jurisdictions
- New York virtual currency license #0000054
- Licenses and complaint contacts listed per state
Cons
- Business-only; no direct consumer app
- Pricing is not published
- The site shares little product detail publicly
Skip it if you need a trust or bank charter: Bakkt's license page lists money transmitter and New York licenses.
Not on this list
Prime Trust: Out of business: Nevada's Financial Institutions Division found Prime Trust insolvent and petitioned for receivership on June 26, 2023.
Crypto Custody Providers compared
Select a name to jump to its review.
| Name | Best for | US availability | Fees | Pricing | Chains |
|---|
| Anchorage Digital | US funds and advisers | Available in the US | Not verified | Porto self-custody: Starter $750/mo, Advanced $1,500/mo, Enterprise custom; custody and trading fees not published | Not verified |
|---|
| BitGo | Qualified custody at scale | BitGo Bank & Trust, N.A. (OCC); NY trust company regulated by NYDFS; money transmitter licenses in certain states, others pending | Custody fee in bps on average monthly USD balance; fees only on outgoing transfers outside your enterprise; rates set per agreement | Set in each client agreement: bps on average monthly assets under custody and on outgoing transactions | Not verified |
|---|
| Gemini | Smaller custody accounts | All 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico | Fee plus spread on buys, shown before you confirm; ACH and wire deposits free; USD wire withdrawal $25 | Not verified | Deposits on many networks |
|---|
| Paxos | Tokenization and stablecoins | Available in the US | No public rate card; zero fees to convert PYUSD to USD with PayPal and Paxos | Zero fees to mint or redeem USDG and PYUSD with an institutional account | Ethereum, Solana, Ink, Mantle, X Layer and other public blockchains |
|---|
| Fireblocks | Firms holding their own keys | Available: terms name no country restrictions | 0.20% overage above $1,000,000 quarterly outbound volume (Essentials) | Essentials $999/month (up to 6 months); Pro, Enterprise, Enterprise+ from $36,000/year | 80+ EVM and non-EVM blockchains |
|---|
| Cobo | Startups and smaller teams | Available: terms restrict only sanctioned persons and addresses | Outgoing volume overage 0.20% (Starter), 0.16% (Standard) | Starter $299/month; Standard $999/month; Enterprise by quote | 80+ chains |
|---|
| zerohash | Embedded crypto in apps | FinCEN-registered MSB; money transmitter in 53 US jurisdictions; New York BitLicense | Set by the platform as spread plus up to 5 fees per order; spread and fees capped at 7.5% in New York | Not published; quoted by a zerohash representative | Not verified |
|---|
| Bakkt | Brokers and platforms | Money transmitter licenses in 40 US jurisdictions; NY virtual currency license #0000054 | Fee schedule shown after login on the platform; fee and spread disclosed before you confirm | Not verified | Not verified |
|---|
“Not verified” means we could not confirm the value on the project’s own pages.
How we rank crypto custody providers
- 01Charter and licenses: OCC federal charter, New York trust charter or state money transmitter licenses, from the provider's own license page.
- 02Published pricing: entry plan price and volume fees, where the provider publishes them.
- 03Insurance: the insurance amount stated on the provider's own page.
- 04Coverage: chains and assets supported.
- 05Model: qualified custodian holding assets for you, or a platform where you hold the keys.
No project paid to be listed or ranked. Full rules: methodology.
What we did not test
- We did not open accounts, deposit money or place trades with these services.
- We did not audit smart contracts, reserves or security claims ourselves; we report what the project and its auditors publish.
- Fees, limits and availability change; the list date shows when we last checked them.
Rubric last updated Oct 1, 2026. Crypto assets are not insured by the FDIC or SIPC, and you can lose all the money you put in. This page is educational content, not financial advice.
How to choose
01Decide who holds the keys
A qualified custodian such as Anchorage, BitGo or Gemini holds assets for you. Fireblocks and Cobo give you software to hold them yourself, which changes what your auditor will ask for.
02Match the charter to your rules
Registered advisers often need a qualified custodian. Anchorage and BitGo have OCC charters; Gemini and Paxos started with New York trust charters.
03Read the insurance line closely
BitGo states $250M and Gemini $125M. Anchorage states that custody assets are not FDIC or SIPC insured.
04Budget for volume fees
Fireblocks charges 0.20% above its Essentials volume cap, and Cobo 0.20% or 0.16% overage. Model your monthly outflows before you pick a plan.
Who should skip all of these
- Individuals holding their own coins: a hardware wallet or a self-custody app fits better. See our best crypto wallets list.
- Anyone seeking yield on custodied assets: this list ranks storage and control, not lending.
- Readers looking for child custody help: this page covers digital assets only.
Bottom line
For US institutions that need a qualified custodian, start with Anchorage Digital or BitGo. For teams that want to hold their own keys, compare Fireblocks and Cobo on published pricing.
Ask every provider for its current SOC reports and insurance terms before you sign.
Educational content, not financial advice. Crypto assets are volatile; do your own research.
FAQ
What is a qualified crypto custodian?
±
A regulated bank or trust company that holds client assets under custody rules. BitGo and Gemini describe their custody this way on their own pages, and Anchorage holds an OCC bank charter.
How much does crypto custody cost?
±
Few providers publish prices. Cobo starts at $299 a month, Fireblocks at $999 a month, and Gemini Custody has a minimum of $30 per asset per month.
Is crypto in custody FDIC insured?
±
No. Anchorage Digital states that custodied digital assets are not covered by FDIC or SIPC. Some custodians carry private insurance, such as $250M at BitGo.
Is Fireblocks a custodian?
±
Fireblocks is mainly a wallet and key management platform: you or your custodian hold the keys using its software.
Does crypto custody have anything to do with child custody?
±
No. Crypto custody means safekeeping of the private keys that control digital assets.
What changed in this list
2026-09-26First version: 8 custodians and custody platforms, charters and pricing checked on each provider's own pages.
2026-10-01Added Prime Trust to Not on this list: Nevada regulators petitioned for its receivership in June 2023.
Who made this page
✓
Fact check
Checked against 11 sourcesLast check: Oct 1, 2026
A value we could not confirm on the project’s own pages is marked “Not verified” instead of estimated.
How we review