Key Takeaways

  • BitGo provides regulated, institutional-grade custody and staking for DDA’s newly listed Safello Bittensor Staked TAO ETP (STAO) on the SIX Swiss Exchange.

  • All TAO assets are held in fully segregated cold storage by BitGo Europe GmbH, which has a Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR) License from the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin).

  • The partnership connects decentralized AI and traditional finance, enabling institutional investors to gain exposure to Bittensor (TAO) through a compliant, secure ETP structure.

BitGo has partnered with Deutsche Digital Assets (DDA) to deliver institutional-grade custody and staking for the newly launched Safello Bittensor Staked TAO ETP (Ticker: STAO) trading on the SIX Swiss Exchange. This collaboration provides secure, regulated access to Bittensor (TAO), a decentralized protocol that powers a global, tokenized marketplace for machine intelligence.

Given the demand for decentralized AI and compute markets, this ETP offers a familiar, compliant investment wrapper backed by BitGo’s trusted infrastructure.

Secure, Regulated Infrastructure for TAO Custody & Staking

As the appointed digital asset custodian, BitGo Europe GmbH, which has a Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR) License from the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin), holds 100% of the TAO collateral in fully segregated cold storage and manages staking operations for the ETP. BitGo Europe’s trust and custodial entities are built for institutions requiring the highest standards in security, risk management, and regulatory oversight.

BitGo brings:

  • Regulated custody under Germany’s BaFin framework

  • Multi-signature wallet technology purpose-built for institutions

  • Comprehensive compliance and risk controls embedded throughout our technology stack

  • Secure, scalable staking infrastructure that enables DDA to manage operational risk

  • Up to $250M in insurance coverage for digital assets held in qualified custody and rigorous operational controls across custody and liquidity services

This foundation ensures that exposure to TAO is backed by robust security, transparent segregation of assets, and a staking framework built to institutional expectations.

“The collaboration with Deutsche Digital Assets marks another important step in BitGo’s mission to secure the digital asset economy,” said Mike Belshe, CEO and Co-Founder of BitGo. “By providing regulated custody and staking for innovative assets like TAO, we’re supporting the growth of decentralized AI while enabling institutional investors to participate in this new frontier responsibly

Connecting Decentralized AI With Traditional Financial Markets

DDA’s Safello Bittensor Staked TAO ETP brings decentralized artificial intelligence to the regulated investment landscape through a structure institutions already understand.

“Partnering with BitGo helps ensure that investors in our products benefit from the highest standards of custody and staking infrastructure,” said Maximilian Lautenschläger, CEO and Founder of DDA. “The STAO ETP marks an important step in connecting decentralized AI to traditional financial markets under a regulated, institutional-grade framework.”

The launch demonstrates how secure, compliance-first digital asset infrastructure serves as a bridge between emerging blockchain ecosystems, like Bittensor’s AI-driven compute network, and traditional investment products such as exchange-traded products (ETPs).

Strengthening BitGo’s Global Leadership in Institutional Digital Asset Support

Through its regulated operations, BitGo continues to expand its position as the trusted partner for asset managers, issuers, and institutions seeking secure access to digital assets inside ETPs, ETFs, funds, and structured products.

As decentralized AI and blockchain-powered compute networks evolve, BitGo provides the risk-managed foundation institutions need to participate with confidence, helping ensure assets are safeguarded, staking rewards are managed securely, and compliance requirements are met across jurisdictions.

Learn More

Asset managers, issuers, and institutions looking to integrate digital assets into regulated investment products can connect with BitGo’s team to learn how secure custody, compliant staking, and insurance-backed infrastructure can make institutional participation more safe, scalable, and efficient.

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FAQs

What role does BitGo play in the TAO ETP?

BitGo Europe GmbH provides regulated custody and staking for all underlying TAO, held in fully segregated, regulated cold storage.

Why is secure custody important for Bittensor (TAO)?

TAO powers a decentralized AI network, making it essential that institutional investors engage through secure, compliance-first infrastructure that protects assets and staking operations.

Does BitGo manage staking for the ETP?

BitGo operates the staking infrastructure, ensuring secure participation while maintaining institutional-grade governance and operational standards.

Is the ETP regulated?

The STAO ETP is offered within a regulated structure and trades on the SIX Swiss Exchange, supported by BitGo’s infrastructure.

How does this benefit institutional investors?

Institutions gain exposure to TAO and decentralized AI through a familiar, regulated ETP structure. This offers a seamless entry point into emerging digital asset ecosystems. For institutions that prefer direct ownership, BitGo also provides secure, regulated custody and staking solutions outside of product wrappers.

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About BitGo

BitGo is the digital asset infrastructure company, delivering custody, wallets, staking, trading, financing, and settlement services from regulated cold storage. Since our founding in 2013, we have been focused on accelerating the transition of the financial system to a digital asset economy. With a global presence and multiple regulated entities, BitGo serves thousands of institutions, including many of the industry's top brands, exchanges, and platforms, and millions of retail investors worldwide. For more information, visit www.bitgo.com.

©2025 BitGo, Inc. (collectively with its parent, affiliates, and subsidiaries, “BitGo”). All rights reserved. BitGo Trust Company, Inc., BitGo, Inc., and BitGo Prime LLC are separately operated, wholly-owned subsidiaries of BitGo Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, CA. BitGo does not offer legal, tax, or investment advisory services. The statements contained herein are only intended for marketing and informational purposes and should not be interpreted as legal, tax, or investment advice. Please consult your legal,tax,investment, or other professional advisor for questions about your specific circumstances. Digital asset holdings involve a high degree of risk, and digital asset values may fluctuate on any given day. Accordingly, your digital asset holdings may be subject to large swings in value and may even become worthless. The information provided herein is not intended for distribution to, or use by, any person or entity in any jurisdiction or country where such distribution or use would be contrary to law, statute, or regulation. BitGo is not directing this information to any person in any jurisdiction where the publication or availability of the information is prohibited, by reason of that person’s citizenship, residence, or otherwise. The information contained in our press releases, blogs, and presentations should be considered accurate only as of the date of the press release, blog, or presentation. We disclaim any obligation to supplement or update the information in these press releases, blogs, or presentations, except as may be required by law. Product availability and client eligibility will vary by jurisdiction. Services listed may be provided by one of BitGo's affiliated entities.