Anchorage Digital holds a clear lead, frequently recommended as a federally chartered bank for institutional crypto custody and proof-of-stake rewards. For institutional investors evaluating SEC qualified custodians, BitGo ties it as a frequent recommendation.
Since July, BitGorising has gained ground across the market and is now the most named custodian for institutional buyers seeking SEC qualified custodians, while Hex Trustfalling has dropped.
Latest insights
Week of Sep 21–27 · Since Jul 5
Coinbase Prime Custody Gaining: AI answers in Digital Asset Custody Services name Coinbase Prime Custody more often: mention rate grew from 50% to 57.1%
Fireblocks Gap between platforms: Fireblocks's platform gap in Digital Asset Custody Services narrowed: Google AI Mode 56.8%, ChatGPT Search 32.6%
Fireblocks Gaining: Fireblocks ranked #5 in Digital Asset Custody Services last week and #4 this week
Fidelity Digital Assets Slipping: Fidelity Digital Assets's mention rate decreased to 28.6% in Digital Asset Custody Services, from 36.7% the week before
Fidelity Digital Assets Slipping: Fidelity Digital Assets dropped 1 place to rank #5 of 29 in Digital Asset Custody Services
45% of citations point at the ranked brands’ own sites. sec.gov, bitcoinfoundation.org, youtube.com are the most-cited sites outside the ranked brands’ own domains.
: Operates as a regulated qualified custodian with deep, integrated staking support for major proof-of-stake assets (Ethereum, Solana, Cardano, Cosmos, etc.). It allows seamless transition between cold/warm storage staking and trading without unbonding delays where supported.[]()
Fidelity Digital Assets: Tailored for traditional financial institutions and enterprises seeking an enterprise-grade platform backed by traditional finance standards, featuring robust security models for holding and managing digital assets.
Fireblocks: Utilizes Multi-Party Computation (MPC-CMP) technology rather than single-signature hot/cold setups. Fireblocks has extensive direct integration with institutional staking providers and validators, allowing you to retain policy control over your keys while earning network rewards.[](https://bitcoinfoundation.org/news/blockchain-news/best-crypto-custody-provider/)
Copper: Known for its ClearLoop network and secure infrastructure, Copper provides off-exchange settlement capabilities alongside robust staking mechanics for digital asset funds and institutions.
Key Considerations When Choosing
Staking Architecture: Determine whether you require native staking (running/delegating directly to validators via your own chosen node operators) or custodial/managed staking (where the custodian handles the validator operations via partners).
Slashing & Insurance Protection: Review the provider's policy on validator downtime or slashing penalties, and whether they offer coverage or insurance mechanisms for network-level risks.
If you need a digital asset custody solution that supports staking on proof-of-stake (PoS) networks, I’d start with Anchorage Digital, Coinbase Prime, and BitGo. If you need more control over wallet infrastructure or want to retain flexibility in choosing a custodian, I’d also evaluate Fireblocks.
The key distinction is whether you want a regulated third party to hold assets and manage staking for you, or a wallet platform that lets your organization control transaction approvals and select staking providers.
Recommended custody solutions
1. Anchorage Digital
(Best for regulated custody)
Anchorage offers custody through a federally chartered crypto bank, segregated asset storage, and staking across 20+ networks, including Ethereum, Solana and Avalanche. It also supports validator selection and automated reward restaking.
Best for: Funds, asset managers, and institutions prioritizing qualified custody and operational controls.
Coinbase Prime combines institutional custody, trading and staking. Its published staking coverage includes ETH, SOL, ADA, DOT, AVAX, ATOM, NEAR and SUI, among other assets. Eligibility varies by asset, jurisdiction and the specific Coinbase custody entity.
Best for: Organizations that want custody, trading and staking within one institutional platform.
BitGo provides institutional qualified custody, multi-signature and MPC key-management options, alongside staking services. It is worth evaluating if you need custody and staking integrated with a broader digital asset operating model. Confirm the exact network coverage and custody arrangement for your account.
Best for: Institutions that need regulated custody and staking with configurable security controls.
Fireblocks focuses on wallet infrastructure, transaction policies and staking integrations. Depending on the configuration, you can use its infrastructure alongside Fireblocks Trust or another supported custodian, rather than necessarily appointing Fireblocks as your sole custodian.
Best for: Exchanges, fintechs, and institutions that want granular transaction approvals and flexibility in their custody setup.
Multiple validator providers and granular approval policies
Fireblocks
Staking from both qualified-custody and self-custody wallets
BitGo
Broad institutional staking coverage
Sources: provider documentation and published comparisons.
What to verify before selecting a provider
Supported networks: Confirm your specific tokens are eligible for staking, not merely supported for custody.
Custody model: Determine who legally holds the assets, controls the keys and bears responsibility for safeguarding them.
Staking risks: Review slashing exposure, validator downtime, unbonding periods and potential restrictions on withdrawals.
Fees and rewards: Compare validator commissions, custody fees, minimum staking amounts and reward distribution.
Insurance and legal protections: Verify coverage limits, exclusions, asset segregation and the exact contracting entity.
Reporting: Ensure staking rewards and transactions can be reconciled for accounting, tax and audit purposes.
Staking rewards are not guaranteed, and custody insurance should not be assumed to cover market losses, protocol failures or slashing.
Let’s narrow this down
The best solution depends heavily on your assets and whether you need institutional-grade custody or a personal wallet. Which networks do you need to stake, and is this for an institution/fund or for personal use?
Yes. If you’re looking for institutional-grade digital asset custody with native staking, my top recommendation would be Anchorage Digital.
My shortlist
Provider
Staking
Custody model
Best for
Anchorage Digital
20+ networks, including ETH, SOL, AVAX and others
Federally chartered U.S. crypto bank; segregated custody
Regulated U.S. institutions
Coinbase Prime / Custody
Strong ETH & SOL offering plus other PoS assets
Qualified custody integrated with trading
Institutions wanting custody + trading + staking
Fireblocks
ETH, SOL, POL, Cosmos ecosystem and others
Institutional wallet/custody infrastructure; can connect to custodians
Firms wanting flexible infrastructure and validator choice
BitGo
Multiple PoS networks
Qualified/self-custody options
Institutions wanting custody plus staking flexibility
Why I'd put Anchorage first: its staking is integrated directly with custody, and the company says staked assets remain in segregated wallets, aren't pooled or rehypothecated, and can be delegated to Anchorage, a vetted validator, or your own validator. It currently advertises staking across 20+ networks.
Anchorage also has a particularly compelling U.S. regulatory structure: custody and staking are provided through Anchorage Digital Bank, N.A., a federally chartered crypto bank.
Coinbase is probably my second choice if you also want a highly integrated trading/prime-brokerage platform. Coinbase Prime combines staking with custody, trading and financing, and Coinbase Custody Trust Company is a qualified custodian.
Fireblocks is particularly interesting if you're building institutional infrastructure rather than simply looking for a conventional custodian. Its staking product lets institutions stake directly from their existing vaults, while choosing among institutional validator providers such as Figment, Kiln, Galaxy, Kraken and Blockdaemon.
BitGo is another credible option; it supports staking directly from qualified-custody or self-custody wallets.
Bottom line
If your priority is maximum regulatory/custody comfort + staking, I'd start with Anchorage Digital.
If your priority is custody + trading/liquidity, look closely at Coinbase Prime.
If your priority is multi-chain infrastructure, validator choice, APIs and operational controls, consider Fireblocks.
If you tell me which networks you need to stake (e.g., ETH, SOL, ADA, DOT, AVAX) and whether you're a U.S. fund, corporation, bank, or individual, I can narrow this to the best 2–3 providers and compare fees, custody structure, staking yield/commission, minimums, and regulatory status.
