What Deutsche Digital Assets does

Deutsche Digital Assets (DDA) is a Frankfurt-based crypto asset manager founded in 2017 that issues physically-backed cryptocurrency Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) and provides crypto investment advisory services. The group operates through a holding structure centered on Deutsche Digital Assets GmbH, with DDA ETP GmbH (Germany) issuing the Bitcoin ETP, DDA ETP AG (Liechtenstein) issuing the Ethereum, Crypto Select 10, and Bittensor Staked TAO ETPs, and DDA Advisory GmbH providing BaFin-licensed investment advisory services. Across its ETP lineup (XBTI, IETH, SLCT, BMAC, HELI, and STAO), assets are 100% physically collateralized and held in cold storage at regulated custodians (BaFin-regulated Coinbase Germany GmbH and AFM-regulated Aplo SAS) with third-party insurance and no securities lending.

DDA's core products are exchange-traded products that trade like ETFs on traditional European stock exchanges — Deutsche Börse Xetra, SIX Swiss Exchange, Euronext Paris and Amsterdam, Börse Stuttgart, and Nasdaq Stockholm — and are registered for sale in 25+ European countries under the MiCA framework. Distribution is multi-channel: directly via exchanges, through retail banks and brokerages (Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank, DKB, ING, Flatex, Scalable Capital, DEGIRO, among others), through wealth-adviser platforms (Nortia), and through a white-label platform that lets third parties issue their own ETPs using DDA's regulatory and listing infrastructure (used by Safello for STAO). Revenue is generated through Total Expense Ratio (TER) management fees on assets under management, ranging from 0.95% (Bitcoin/Ethereum) to 3.20% (HELI, winding down June 2026), with the BMAC 2.00% fee currently waived.

DDA serves three primary customer segments: European retail investors seeking tax-efficient crypto exposure via existing brokerage accounts; high-net-worth individuals and family offices accessing institutional-grade custody and advisory through DDA Advisory; and institutional investors (banks, asset managers, brokers) that distribute the ETPs or use the white-label platform. The firm competes with larger European crypto ETP issuers (21Shares, CoinShares, ETC Group, Valour) and ETF incumbents that are now entering the space. Headcount is reported at 11–50, the company is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds or institutional investors, and ownership is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Deutsche Digital Assets

Legal name

Deutsche Digital Assets GmbH

Website

https://deutschedigitalassets.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Deutsche Digital Assets is a Frankfurt-based crypto asset manager that issues physically-backed cryptocurrency ETPs listed on major European stock exchanges and provides crypto investment advisory services to retail investors, family offices, HNW individuals, and institutional clients across 25+ European jurisdictions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Crypto Asset Management

NAICS

Securities and Commodity Exchanges (5232), Securities and Commodity Exchanges (52321)

SIC

Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200)

akta.pro primary industry

Spot Crypto Exchanges (Order-Book & Matching Engine) (FSADAAAA)

Keywords

• Crypto asset management
• Crypto exchange traded products
• Physically-backed ETPs
• Crypto investment advisory
• White-label ETP issuance

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfurt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Management Fees (Total Expense Ratio): DDA earns ongoing management fees calculated as Total Expense Ratio (TER) on Assets Under Management (AUM) across its ETP product suite. Fees range from 0.95% to 3.20% depending on the product.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Deutsche Digital Assets (DDA) is a Frankfurt-based crypto asset manager that issues and distributes physically-backed cryptocurrency Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) listed on major European stock exchanges, provides BaFin-licensed crypto investment advisory services to family offices and high net worth investors, and operates a white-label ETP issuance platform for third-party crypto issuers.

Product overview

Deutsche Digital Assets (DDA) operates as a crypto asset manager offering a portfolio of investment products ranging from passively managed, physically-backed crypto Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) to tailored solutions for institutional and retail investors. The ETP lineup includes single-asset products (DDA Physical Bitcoin ETP, DDA Physical Ethereum ETP), a diversified basket product (DDA Crypto Select 10 ETP), a dynamically managed Bitcoin Macro ETP (BMAC), and the Safello Bittensor Staked TAO ETP (STAO) providing exposure to decentralized AI with staking rewards. DDA also offers DDA Advisory (BaFin-licensed investment advisory services for family offices, HNWIs, and institutions) and a White-Label ETP platform enabling third parties to launch their own crypto ETP products with full infrastructure support. All ETP products are 100% collateralized, held in cold storage at regulated custodians, and listed on major European stock exchanges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DDA Crypto ETPs: Physically-backed crypto Exchange Traded Products trading on European stock exchanges
• DDA Advisory
• DDA White-Label Exchange Traded Products (ETPs)

Products and services

• SLCT – DDA Crypto Select 10 ETP Exchange traded product tracking the MarketVector Digital Assets Max 10 VWAP Close Index, providing diversified exposure to the top 10 largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Physically backed by a basket of cryptocurrencies held in cold storage at regulated custodians.
• XBTI – DDA Physical Bitcoin ETP Exchange traded product tracking the price of Bitcoin (BTC), 100% physically backed by Bitcoin stored in cold storage at BaFin-regulated Coinbase Germany GmbH with additional third-party insurance. Listed on Deutsche Börse Xetra, SIX Swiss Exchange, Euronext Paris and Amsterdam.
• IETH – DDA Physical Ethereum ETP Exchange traded product tracking the price of Ether (ETH), 100% physically backed by ETH. Provides exposure to the Ethereum blockchain ecosystem with no staking component.
• BMAC – DDA Bitcoin Macro ETP Exchange traded product providing dynamic systematic exposure between BTC and USDC, using macroeconomic factors to modulate Bitcoin exposure and manage risk over the long term. Management fee of 2.00% p.a. waived from 1st March 2025.
• HELI – DDA Heliad Dynamic Blockchain ETP Actively managed blockchain ETP tracking a dynamic portfolio of blockchain-related assets. Product will cease trading as of 4 June 2026, with mandatory redemption notice issued.
• STAO – Safello Bittensor Staked TAO ETP Physically backed, staked TAO Exchange Traded Product launched in partnership with Safello, providing regulated exposure to Bittensor (TAO) tokens associated with decentralized AI. Offers staking rewards to investors.
• DDA Advisory Crypto investment advisory services provided by DDA Advisory GmbH (a BaFin-licensed subsidiary) for Family Offices, High Net Worth Individuals (HNWIs), and institutional investors. Offers a blend of traditional and in-house-developed digital asset investment solutions.
• DDA White-Label Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) Plug-and-play white-label solution reducing the complexity and cost of launching crypto ETPs. Provides all necessary infrastructure including regulatory approvals, exchange listing, operations, and portfolio management.

Quantifiable outcome

• German private investors enjoy tax-free treatment after 1-year holding period
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• NortiacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 2 December 2025DDA Physical Bitcoin ETP (XBTI) became the first crypto ETP available on Nortia marketplace, a platform for wealth advisers. This enables wealth management clients to access Bitcoin exposure through the advisor channel.
• Nasdaq StockholmcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 20 November 2025DDA approved as issuer on Nasdaq Stockholm to list crypto ETPs, enabling Nordic institutional investors to access digital assets through high exchange standards.
• SafellocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 October 2025Collaboration with Safello to launch the Safello Bittensor Staked TAO ETP (STAO) - Europe's first staked TAO ETP. Safello issues the product and provides Nordic exchange infrastructure while DDA provides ETP infrastructure and regulatory framework. Product listed on SIX Swiss Exchange with plans for multiple exchange listings.
• Coinbase Germany GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationBaFin-regulated cryptocurrency custodian providing cold storage custody for DDA Bitcoin ETP (XBTI) with additional third-party insurance coverage.
• Aplo SAScoreTechnology or IntegrationFrench AFM-regulated custodian providing cold storage custody for DDA crypto ETPs including the Crypto Select 10 ETP (SLCT) and other products.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Sygnum Bank: Sygnum is a Swiss-regulated digital-asset bank offering crypto asset management and trading services to institutional and HNW clients. It overlaps with DDA Advisory's institutional and family-office crypto investment mandates, particularly across DACH and Swiss markets.
• Hashdex: Hashdex manages crypto index and basket products (including Nasdaq-listed ETFs) and competes with DDA in the diversified-crypto basket category. Its growing European footprint and index methodology overlap with DDA's SLCT product.

Broad incumbents

• VanEck: VanEck is a global asset manager with a European crypto ETP suite (e.g., VanEck Bitcoin ETN) competing in the same physically-backed crypto category as DDA. Its broader product portfolio and stronger brand create incumbent pressure on smaller issuers.
• WisdomTree: WisdomTree is a large established global ETP issuer with a European crypto ETP offering (e.g., WisdomTree Physical Bitcoin/Ethereum) listed on European exchanges. While part of a much broader traditional ETP business, its crypto products compete directly with DDA's physically-backed offerings.

Direct peers

• Bitwise Asset Management: Bitwise is a crypto asset manager offering index, basket, and thematic crypto investment products (including European-listed ETPs). It overlaps with DDA's basket (SLCT) and thematic (STAO) strategies and competes for the same institutional and family-office allocation.
• 21Shares: 21Shares is one of the largest European crypto ETP issuers, offering a broad suite of physically-backed single-asset, basket, and thematic ETPs listed across European exchanges. It competes head-to-head with DDA in the same regulatory and distribution framework (BaFin/MiCA), targeting the same retail and institutional investors.
• ETC Group: ETC Group is a German-headquartered crypto ETP issuer focused on physically-backed Bitcoin, Ethereum, and altcoin ETPs listed on Deutsche Börse Xetra and other European venues. Its German base and product overlap make it one of the closest direct competitors to DDA.
• Valour: Valour issues a broad range of crypto ETPs (single-asset and basket) listed across European exchanges and competes directly with DDA's XBTI, IETH, and SLCT products in the same retail and institutional channels.
• CoinShares: CoinShares is a European crypto asset manager and ETP issuer offering physically-backed Bitcoin, Ethereum, and basket ETPs across European exchanges. It is a direct competitor to DDA with overlapping product strategy, regulatory footprint, and institutional distribution model.

Others

• Safello: Safello is a Nordic crypto exchange and ETP issuer that partners with DDA on the STAO product. While not a head-to-head competitor on DDA's core ETPs, it is both a partner and a comparable Nordic-region crypto financial-services player.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DDA_GmbH

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Deutsche Digital Assets