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Global computing firm IBM is making a fresh play around blockchain, teaming with the Coinbase-backed crypto infrastructure firm Dfns to launch IBM Digital Asset Haven—a platform built for governments and institutions to securely manage their digital asset operations.
The platform is designed to consolidate fragmented systems across enterprises, making it easier for firms to enter the blockchain space with features like wallet creation, transaction execution, programmable governance, and secure key management.
“With IBM Digital Asset Haven, our clients have the opportunity to enter and expand into the digital asset space backed by IBM’s level of security and reliability,” said Tom McPherson, general manager for IBM Z and LinuxONE, in a statement.
“This new, unified platform delivers the resilience and data governance they have been asking for, empowering governments and enterprises to build the next generation of financial services,” he added.
The firm’s platform is expected to be available via its software-as-a-service (or SaaS) offerings in Q4 with on-premise launches coming in Q2 2026.
“For digital assets to be integrated into core banking and capital markets systems, the underlying infrastructure must meet the same standards as traditional financial rails,” Clarisse Hagège, CEO of Dfns, said in a statement.
“Together with IBM, we’ve built a platform that goes beyond custody to orchestrate the full digital asset ecosystem, paving the way for digital assets to move from pilot programs to production at a global scale,” she added.
The French-based Dfns previously raised $13.5 million in a seed round with participation from crypto exchange Coinbase in 2022. Earlier this year, it announced a Series A raise of $16 million, which included an investment from crypto market maker, Wintermute.
IBM’s blockchain ambitions extend back as far as 2016, when it began "reimagining its core business on blockchain.” In 2019, it worked with Walmart to track shrimp imports using blockchain. In 2020, it spun up a blockchain network to help in the recovery efforts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Shares of IBM are up slightly on Monday, changing hands at nearly $309. The stock is up more than 40% year-to-date.
Representatives for IBM and Dfns did not immediately respond to Decrypt’s request for comment.
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