IBM unveils Digital Asset Haven for secure blockchain solutions
IBM has launched Digital Asset Haven, a platform aimed at enabling financial institutions, governments, and corporations to engage with the digital asset sector securely.
The new offering results from a partnership between IBM and French digital wallet infrastructure provider Dfns. The platform is designed to address a range of enterprise needs, including secure custody, transaction management, and compliance support for digital assets across more than 40 blockchains.
IBM's integration leverages its established full-stack infrastructure alongside Dfns' custody functionality. Key security features include quantum-safe cryptography and the use of hardware-backed key security with IBM's Crypto Express 8S hardware security modules. Additional security measures involve multi-party computation (MPC) technology, cold storage options supported by IBM's Offline Signing Orchestrator, and pre-integrated Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) compliance features.
Security focus
Security remains a primary concern for enterprises looking to engage with digital assets. According to IBM, the new platform addresses these priorities by providing tools and technology suitable for a regulatory and compliance-first environment.
"With IBM Digital Asset Haven, clients can manage digital assets across various blockchains, all while conforming to their sovereignty, security, and compliance requirements," IBM stated in its announcement.
The scale of institutional demand is highlighted by the Dfns platform's operational history, which has created 15 million wallets for over 250 clients prior to this collaboration. This is cited as evidence of both enterprise appetite for digital asset solutions and the critical need for secure, compliant infrastructure as adoption grows.
Institutional demand
The launch of Digital Asset Haven follows a period of rapid expansion in the digital asset sector. By early 2025, institutional investments accounted for more than 25% of the total cryptocurrency market capitalisation, according to industry figures included in IBM's announcement. The overall cryptocurrency market capitalisation surpassed USD $4 trillion during the same period, reflecting heightened activity from financial institutions and the wider adoption of blockchain-based services.
Market analysis cited by IBM predicts the global digital asset custody sector will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 23.6% through 2033. This is attributed to the combination of greater institutional involvement and increasing regulatory clarity that together reduce traditional barriers to entry for large-scale organisations.
Industry movements
Major financial institutions have outlined new strategies in response to this shifting landscape. JPMorgan Chase announced plans to allow institutional clients to use Bitcoin and Ethereum as loan collateral by the end of 2025. Similarly, U.S. Bancorp formed a dedicated Digital Assets and Money Movement organisation in October to develop new business lines based on blockchain technologies and digital assets.
These announcements are part of broader trends within enterprise blockchain adoption. IBM forecasts that, by 2025, around 85% of financial institutions will use smart contracts in some capacity, with the sector moving from limited pilot schemes to more extensive implementation of blockchain-powered solutions.
Rollout schedule
Digital Asset Haven will be available as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and Hybrid SaaS options from the final quarter of 2025. IBM has stated that it intends to offer an on-premises deployment model from the second quarter of 2026, aiming to accommodate a range of operational and regulatory requirements for different types of enterprise and government clients.
