NEW YORK — February 12, 2026
Executive Summary
BitGo Holdings, Inc., a digital asset infrastructure company, and 21shares, a global issuer of cryptocurrency exchange traded products, have announced an expansion of their partnership to deepen collaboration across staking and custody services supporting digital asset exchange traded funds and exchange traded products. The expanded agreement covers operations across the United States and Europe, Middle East, and Africa markets and is intended to support 21shares’ growing suite of regulated crypto investment products. According to the companies, the partnership enhances institutional infrastructure supporting regulated crypto exposure through secure custody, liquidity access, trading execution, and staking capabilities delivered within a regulated and insured framework. The announcement follows continued operational momentum at BitGo, including regulatory approvals and expanded institutional capabilities, and reflects ongoing collaboration between the firms as global institutional adoption of digital assets continues to increase.
Announcement Overview
BitGo Holdings, Inc. and 21shares announced the expansion of their existing partnership to strengthen operational support for digital asset investment products through integrated custody and staking services. The collaboration supports 21shares’ expanding portfolio of exchange traded funds and exchange traded products designed to provide regulated exposure to digital assets for institutional and retail investors across major financial markets.
According to the companies, the expanded partnership builds upon an established working relationship and extends operational capabilities across both U.S. and EMEA markets. The agreement focuses on infrastructure supporting asset security, liquidity access, trading execution, and staking functionality. The firms stated that the expanded relationship is intended to support 21shares’ product growth and institutional client demand while providing operational resilience and regulatory alignment.
21shares manages a broad global platform of digital asset investment products with approximately $5.7 billion in assets under management as of February 10, 2026. The firm develops exchange traded products that provide investors with regulated access to digital assets through traditional financial market structures. BitGo provides digital asset custody and infrastructure services supporting institutional clients, including exchanges, financial institutions, and asset managers.
The companies indicated that the partnership reflects increasing demand for regulated digital asset investment vehicles and infrastructure capable of supporting institutional-scale operations.
Key Announcement Details
- Announcement type: Strategic partnership expansion
- Announcement classification: Digital asset infrastructure partnership / ETF & ETP operational support agreement
- Partnership parties: BitGo Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: BTGO) and 21shares
- Partnership objective: Support global cryptocurrency ETF and ETP operations through institutional staking and qualified custody infrastructure
- Primary operational services expanded:
- Digital asset qualified custody services
- Integrated digital asset staking services
- Trading execution and liquidity access
- Settlement and operational infrastructure support
- Supported investment vehicles:
- Cryptocurrency exchange traded funds (ETFs)
- Cryptocurrency exchange traded products (ETPs)
- Target client segment:
- Institutional investors
- Asset managers
- Financial institutions
- Exchange traded product investors
- Geographic scope of partnership:
- United States
- Europe
- Middle East
- Africa (EMEA region)
- Infrastructure capabilities provided by BitGo:
- Regulated cold storage custody framework
- Insured qualified custody services
- Digital asset wallet infrastructure
- Deep liquidity access
- Electronic trading execution
- Over-the-counter trading execution
- Integrated staking functionality
- Settlement services
- Institutional risk management controls
- Security framework:
- Regulated custody environment
- Insured digital asset storage
- Institutional-grade governance controls
- Regulatory developments referenced (BitGo):
- Office of the Comptroller of the Currency approval to convert BitGo Bank & Trust to federally chartered trust bank
- Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR) license issued by BaFin
- Public listing on New York Stock Exchange
- Regulatory clarification:
- Regulatory approvals apply to BitGo entities and services
- No regulatory endorsement of specific ETFs or ETPs
- 21shares platform scale:
- Assets under management: approximately $5.7 billion
- Global digital asset investment product platform
- Operational benefits described by companies:
- Institutional-grade digital asset security
- Efficient trading execution
- Liquidity access across markets
- Staking reward generation
- Global operational support
- Partnership scope expansion areas:
- Product development support
- Operational integration
- Global market infrastructure coordination
- Institutional client servicing
- Strategic context stated by companies:
- Increasing institutional adoption of digital assets
- Growth in regulated crypto investment products
- Expansion of global ETF and ETP markets
- Effective announcement date: February 12, 2026
Strategic Context
According to the companies, the expansion occurs amid increasing institutional participation in digital asset markets and growing demand for regulated investment structures. Exchange traded funds and exchange traded products linked to digital assets have become a key mechanism for providing exposure through established financial market infrastructure, requiring secure custody and operational support consistent with regulatory expectations.
The companies stated that institutional adoption has increased the need for integrated infrastructure capable of supporting asset protection, execution efficiency, and compliance requirements across multiple jurisdictions. The expanded partnership is intended to address these requirements by combining 21shares’ product development and asset management capabilities with BitGo’s custody and infrastructure platform.
BitGo indicated that its infrastructure provides operational capabilities supporting trading, settlement, staking, and asset protection within a regulated custody environment. According to the company, this framework is designed to support institutional clients managing digital assets within regulated financial markets.
The companies further stated that global regulatory developments and market structure evolution have contributed to increased demand for infrastructure providers capable of operating across jurisdictions while maintaining consistent security and governance standards.
Custody and Infrastructure Capabilities
BitGo provides digital asset custody services designed to support institutional asset management operations. According to the company, its custody framework includes regulated cold storage, secure wallet infrastructure, and operational controls supporting asset protection and transaction management.
The company stated that its infrastructure provides access to liquidity across electronic trading venues and over-the-counter markets, enabling asset managers to execute transactions efficiently. BitGo also provides settlement and trading capabilities designed to support digital asset operations at institutional scale.
Through the expanded partnership, 21shares gains access to BitGo’s integrated custody and execution infrastructure to support its digital asset exchange traded product platform. According to the companies, these services are delivered within a regulated and insured environment intended to provide institutional-grade security.
BitGo stated that its platform is designed to support digital asset operations with operational resilience, governance controls, and risk management processes aligned with institutional requirements.
Staking Services Integration
The expanded partnership includes integration of staking services supporting digital asset investment products. Staking services enable participation in blockchain network operations while generating rewards associated with network validation activities.
According to the companies, integrated staking services provide operational support for digital asset holdings associated with exchange traded products. The firms stated that staking functionality is delivered through secure infrastructure designed to support asset protection and execution efficiency.
The companies indicated that the integration of staking services reflects growing demand for operational capabilities that extend beyond asset custody to include network participation and yield-related functions within regulated investment products.
Leadership Statements
“21shares is one of the leading digital asset managers globally and we’ve valued our partnership from the outset,” said Adam Sporn, Head of Prime Brokerage and Institutional Sales at BitGo. “We’re excited to expand our relationship across their growing suite of U.S. ETF products and global ETPs across staking and custody. As 21shares continues to scale its business worldwide, we look forward to supporting their future initiatives with a shared long-term vision.”
“21shares prides itself on providing a custody framework designed to support institutional digital asset operations and risk management across its global lineup of ETPs,” said Andres Valencia, Head of Investment Management at 21shares. “BitGo was selected due to the firm’s track record in regulatory compliance, safety and security, and we are thrilled to be expanding our relationship across staking and custody services with this important and trusted partner. BitGo’s infrastructure supports our continued growth while maintaining the highest standards of security and governance.”
Regulatory and Institutional Developments
The partnership expansion follows several regulatory and institutional developments at BitGo. The company reported receiving approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to convert its subsidiary, BitGo Bank & Trust, to a federally chartered trust bank for digital assets. According to the company, the conversion enhances its ability to provide regulated services to institutional clients.
BitGo also completed an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange, which the company stated strengthens its governance framework and operational capabilities. The company further holds a Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation license issued by Germany’s Federal Financial Supervisory Authority, enabling regulated services across the European Union.
The company noted that regulatory approvals apply to its infrastructure services and do not constitute approval or endorsement of specific exchange traded funds or investment products.
According to the companies, these regulatory developments support institutional adoption of digital asset investment products by providing infrastructure operating within established regulatory frameworks.
Global Market Expansion and Institutional Adoption
The companies stated that institutional adoption of digital assets continues to increase across global financial markets, driving demand for regulated investment vehicles and supporting infrastructure. Exchange traded products linked to digital assets have expanded in availability across major financial markets, providing investors with regulated access through familiar investment structures.
The firms indicated that the expanded partnership supports operational coordination across global markets and enables product development and distribution at institutional scale. According to the companies, collaboration across operations, product development, and market support will continue as demand for digital asset investment products evolves.
The companies described the partnership as part of a broader strategy focused on long-term collaboration, operational integration, and infrastructure development supporting institutional market participation.
Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements regarding partnership development, operational plans, product expansion, and market opportunities of BitGo Holdings, Inc. and 21shares. These statements are not historical facts and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied, including regulatory, market, and operational factors described in applicable filings and disclosures.
The companies believe the expectations reflected in these statements are reasonable but provide no assurance of future results and undertake no obligation to update forward-looking statements except as required by law.
About BitGo Holdings, Inc.
BitGo Holdings, Inc. is a digital asset infrastructure company founded in 2013 to support the transition of financial systems toward digital asset markets. The company provides custody, wallet services, trading infrastructure, financing, settlement, and staking services for institutional digital asset operations.
BitGo maintains a global presence and operates multiple regulated entities, including BitGo Bank & Trust, National Association, a federally chartered digital asset bank. The company serves thousands of institutional clients, including financial institutions, digital asset platforms, exchanges, and asset managers, as well as millions of investors worldwide.
BitGo provides regulated cold storage custody solutions designed to support asset security and operational resilience. Its infrastructure includes wallet services, transaction processing, settlement capabilities, and liquidity access across global markets. The company’s services are designed to support institutional clients managing digital assets within regulated environments.
The company is publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker BTGO and operates globally across major financial markets.
About 21shares
21shares is a global provider of cryptocurrency exchange traded products offering a range of digital asset investment vehicles listed on major securities exchanges. The company was founded to provide accessible investment exposure to digital assets and to bridge traditional finance and decentralized finance markets.
21shares launched the world’s first physically backed cryptocurrency exchange traded product in 2018 and has developed a global portfolio of digital asset investment products. The company manages approximately $5.7 billion in assets under management as of February 2026.
The firm operates with a research-driven approach supported by proprietary technology and capital markets expertise. Its exchange traded products provide regulated exposure to digital assets through traditional investment channels.
21shares operates as a subsidiary of FalconX, a digital asset prime brokerage firm, while maintaining independent operations. The company leverages the broader resources and infrastructure of FalconX to support product development and market expansion.
Media Contact
For additional information, visit investors.bitgo.com.
Source Attribution
Source: Company announcement