Anchorage is the only crypto-native bank in the US with a federal charter, boasting a valuation over $3 billion and investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Goldman Sachs, KKR, Visa and GIC (Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund).

When approached for comment on the Build With Anchorage announcement, co-founder Nathan McCauley stated: “For crypto to move toward mainstream adoption, financial institutions need access to safe, secure, and regulated digital asset infrastructure. Build With Anchorage is a major step in this direction, allowing our institutional clients to build the next generation of crypto products in partnership with our team.”

The new infrastructure offers streamlined institutional participation in crypto by providing clients with the security, engineering, regulatory, and design expertise of the Anchorage team.

He explains that given Anchorage’s regulatory standing, institutions “of all stripes—from fintechs to RIAs— are able participate in the digital asset economy from the safety and security of the first OCC-chartered digital asset bank in the US.

“Build With Anchorage unlocks doors to the digital asset ecosystem for institutions who would otherwise find it difficult to participate in crypto due to technical and regulatory challenges.”

Earlier in the day on the Money20/20 stage, McCauley spoke to this deep trust Anchorage has been able to establish with institutions across the industry: “I like to say that we are the custodian that the most sophisticated for the most discerning people in the world - large financial institutions like to come to us. Do you know who else is extremely discerning about where to put their private keys to where to where to put their assets? The defi protocols themselves.

“The ‘who’s who’ of defi protocols tend to custody their assets at Anchorage because they understand that security, flexibility and ability to use their assets while they’re held on a platform is extremely important. That means that both the most regulated and the least regulated types of firms have come to the same conclusion that Anchorage is the place to hold their assets.”

Given the wider macro landscape, Finextra also asked McCauley to elaborate on how the environment is shaping institutions’ desire to better align themselves with an innovative, crypto-based strategy.

“At Anchorage, we have a behind-the-scenes look into how institutions are thinking about crypto as a long-term asset class. One thing is clear: institutions are using the broader bear market as a time to build new crypto products and services. Client demand for safe, secure, and regulated crypto infrastructure has never been higher, which is why we decided to launch Build With Anchorage now.”

Finextra is on the ground at Money20/20, reporting on the event’s biggest updates and announcements. You can keep up to date with our coverage on Finextra’s Live@ page here.