Anchorage Digital Bank, recognized as the first federally chartered crypto bank in the US, has expanded its custody services to include the Etherlink layer-2 network. This integration allows institutional clients to custody assets issued on this Ethereum Virtual Machine-compatible network, which settles on Tezos, through segregated accounts at the bank.
The supported assets comprise seven tokens, including wrapped XTZ (WXTZ), liquid staking token stXTZ, stablecoins USDT, USDC, and USDSM, wrapped Ether (WETH), and xU3O8. The latter is a token representing ownership of physical uranium, with a market cap just above $9 million according to CoinMarketCap data. Anchorage notes that tokenization reduces settlement times from weeks to minutes, addressing traditional barriers such as specialist intermediaries and high minimum investment sizes. Hex Trust previously integrated Etherlink for similar custody purposes in August 2025.
This expansion signifies a deepening of regulatory-compliant infrastructure for real-world asset (RWA) tokenization within the US banking system. By supporting xU3O8, Anchorage provides a regulated pathway for institutions to gain exposure to commodities without the operational burdens of physical storage or complex intermediary networks. The move highlights the growing utility of layer-2 solutions like Etherlink in bridging traditional finance with blockchain-based asset representation.
From an institutional adoption perspective, the entry of a federally chartered bank into niche commodity tokens validates the compliance frameworks required for broader RWA integration. However, the relatively small market capitalization of xU3O8 suggests that while the infrastructure is maturing, liquidity and demand remain concentrated in specific sectors. Market participants should monitor whether other major custodians follow suit, potentially accelerating the migration of traditional commodities onto blockchain rails.
