Digital asset custody, explained

Understanding how digital assets are kept safe.

Tangany GmbH publishes plain-language guidance on custody architecture for digital assets — cold storage, key segregation, and audit practice — so that individuals and institutions can understand the mechanics before choosing a custodian.

This website is strictly informational. Tangany GmbH does not open accounts, hold funds, or offer any paid service through this site.

Rows of server racks in a secure data facility
Reference facility Segregated cold-storage environment
100%Informational content
0Paid services on this site
6Custody principles covered
DEEditorial base, München
How custody works

Four ideas behind any sound custody model.

This is the sequence we use to explain custody to newcomers — not a description of a service you can purchase here.

01 — Segregation

Client assets, separated

Assets under custody are recorded separately from the custodian's own balance sheet, so client holdings are never commingled with operating funds.

02 — Key architecture

Distributed key control

Private keys are split across multiple independent holders and locations, so no single person or system can move assets alone.

03 — Verification

Independent audit trail

Reserves and access logs are reviewed by parties outside the custodian, creating a record that can be checked rather than taken on trust.

04 — Continuity

Recovery planning

Documented recovery procedures describe what happens to access rights if a key holder becomes unavailable, before it is ever needed.

Security pillars

What a custody review should look for.

Offline key storage

Keys generated and stored in devices with no network connection, reducing exposure to remote compromise.

Multi-party authorisation

Movement of assets requires sign-off from more than one authorised party, following a documented policy.

Independent attestation

Regular reports from external reviewers describing controls in place, without relying solely on internal claims.

Clear documentation

Written policies covering access, incident response, and recovery, available for review rather than kept informal.

Regulatory awareness

Attention to the licensing and reporting expectations relevant to the custodian's operating jurisdiction.

Plain communication

Explanations of custody arrangements written so a non-specialist can actually understand what they are agreeing to.

A padlock resting on a computer keyboard, symbolising digital access control
Why this resource exists

Most custody failures are explained afterward, in hindsight.

We started Tangany GmbH as an editorial project after noticing how much custody language is written for specialists rather than the people actually trusting a custodian with their assets. Our aim is narrow: help readers ask better questions before they commit to anyone.

  • Written for readers without a technical or legal background.
  • Updated as custody practices and terminology evolve.
  • Independent of any single custody provider or product.
More about our approach

“The safest custodian is the one whose safeguards you could explain to somebody else, in plain words, without leaving anything out.”

— Editorial note, Tangany GmbH research desk

Questions about how this resource is put together?

Reach our editorial team in München — we reply to every message ourselves.

Contact us