The Capital Markets and Technology Association (CMTA) has officially published the latest version of its Digital Assets Custody Standard (DACS). This update reinforces best practices for the custody of digital assets, contributing to a greater focus on security in the industry.

Originally published in 2020, the DACS was created to provide guidelines for the secure custody and management of tokenized assets. The updated version reflects ongoing technological developments and market needs and offers enhanced guidance on how custodians can safely manage digital assets, outlining requirements and recommendations in five key areas:

1. Choice of custody model

2. Technical operation

3. Generating secrets

4. Recovering secrets

5. Development and maintenance

The updated standard builds upon the CMTA’s commitment to fostering innovation by providing tools to help institutions grow their digital assets capabilities. It introduces refinements around the use of blockchain forensics, access controls, governance models, and incident response procedures. These updates are particularly timely as more institutional players explore blockchain-based solutions and seek to implement robust controls to secure clients' assets.

The DACS was developed by a working group of leading auditing firms, custody solutions suppliers, and regulated financial firms, led by Dr. Jean-Philippe Aumasson, and has been published following consultation of CMTA's members. CMTA welcomes any feedback to admin@cmta.ch.

By standardizing key principles around custody practices, the CMTA continues to play a central role in shaping the infrastructure of the digital asset industry in Switzerland and beyond. The DACS is intended as a practical reference for custody providers, financial institutions and auditors involved in digital asset custody.

The CMTA invites all industry participants to review the updated standard and integrate its recommendations into their operational frameworks. As the digital asset space matures, robust custody solutions remain critical to its sustainable growth, and the CMTA’s DACS sets a benchmark for the secure management of these innovative financial instruments.

Custody providers that want to demonstrate a solution meets the requirements of the DACS can apply for certification.

The updated standard is now available for download here.