Insights · Infrastructure
Institutional Crypto Custody Explained
How institutions safeguard digital assets — and why custody is the foundation of everything else.
Custody — the safeguarding of the cryptographic keys that control digital assets — is the foundation of institutional participation. Get it wrong and nothing else matters.
Models of custody
- Hot storage — keys online for fast access; convenient but higher attack surface.
- Cold storage — keys offline; highly secure but slower to transact.
- MPC custody — keys split across parties so no single point of compromise, combining security with operational speed.
What institutions require
- Robust key management and disaster recovery.
- Governance controls — approvals, limits, segregation of duties.
- Auditability and regulatory alignment.
The Syrax approach
Syrax operates a custodial payment gateway for institutional flows and a non-custodial wallet for self-custody — using hybrid MPC and hardware-backed security where it holds assets.
Learn more: read custodial vs non-custodial and MPC wallets, or browse the glossary.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice.