AnchorWatch Trust Company has launched a Bitcoin custody service under a Nevada trust charter, pairing fixed-dollar monthly fees with optional insurance coverage that can reach $370 million per client, subject to underwriting. The structure targets fiduciaries, public companies, trusts and wealthy individuals seeking a regulated custody arrangement without percentage-based charges that rise alongside Bitcoin’s price.
The Nevada Financial Institutions Division has authorized AnchorWatch to provide custody services, according to the company. Its pricing is capped at $10,000 per month, with charges determined by the size of a client’s vault rather than the dollar value of Bitcoin held inside it.
That approach places AnchorWatch in a part of the custody market where fees have commonly been calculated as a percentage of assets under custody. Under a percentage model, a Bitcoin price increase can raise a client’s custody bill even when the number of coins held has not changed. AnchorWatch’s cap means clients purchasing more Bitcoin, or benefiting from a higher market price, would not pay more than the stated monthly maximum once they reach that threshold.
Insurance is issued in the customer’s name
AnchorWatch said clients can choose insurance policies backed by Lloyd’s of London syndicates rated A+. The policies would be issued in the name of the customer or the customer’s entity, rather than being held solely as a corporate policy by the custodian.
The company said it has authority to write coverage with limits of up to $370 million for each client, although the actual amount remains dependent on underwriting approval, policy terms and applicable limits. That distinction will matter for larger holders, since an advertised maximum does not guarantee that every client, wallet setup or operating arrangement qualifies for the full amount.
The listed covered risks extend beyond technical failure. AnchorWatch said policies can cover violent coercion and kidnapping, as well as fraudulent conduct by the company that causes a Bitcoin loss. Physical threats have become a more visible concern for holders whose identities, wallet balances or business roles are publicly known, particularly when a single person controls enough key material to move substantial assets.
Insurance cannot eliminate the operational challenges of Bitcoin custody, but it can allocate part of the financial risk from a loss event to an insurer. Clients would still need to examine exclusions, key-management requirements, claims procedures and definitions of covered events before treating a policy as a substitute for internal security controls.
Two models divide control of Bitcoin keys
AnchorWatch is offering two custody configurations. In the first, the trust company controls the key material required to meet its qualified-custody role, while a client, trustee or company executive may retain additional keys. That arrangement is designed to preserve a degree of customer participation without placing the entire recovery and transaction process in one individual’s hands.
The second model distributes key control among AnchorWatch, U.S.-based custody provider BitGo and CoinCorner, a company based in the Isle of Man. Splitting key authority among separate parties is intended to reduce the chance that a single compromised employee, device or organization could unilaterally move funds.
Such structures are generally described as multi-signature custody, where transfers require approval from more than one cryptographic key. The practical details matter more than the label: clients need to know how many signatures are required, who can initiate a transaction, how key replacement works, and what occurs if a participant becomes unavailable or faces a legal dispute.
For trusts and corporate treasuries, those questions can be as consequential as the technology itself. A board, trustee or estate administrator may need defined controls over who may approve transfers, while preserving a path to recover funds if an executive or beneficiary loses access to a key.
A pricing challenge to asset-based custody fees
AnchorWatch’s fixed-dollar billing is likely to appeal most to organizations and individuals with large, long-term Bitcoin positions. A monthly fee cap can make costs easier to budget, especially for clients whose holdings fluctuate sharply in market value but do not require frequent movements or trading activity.
The model does not automatically make one provider cheaper for every customer. Smaller vaults may pay different rates before reaching the $10,000 monthly ceiling, and total custody costs can also include insurance premiums, withdrawal procedures, legal review and internal governance work. The value of the cap will depend on the client’s holdings, required service level and the fees charged by alternative custodians.
The launch also reflects a growing split within Bitcoin storage: some holders prefer direct self-custody, while entities with fiduciary duties or formal oversight requirements often seek regulated third-party arrangements. Self-custody avoids reliance on a service provider but requires the holder to secure private keys, establish recovery plans and manage threats ranging from phishing to physical coercion.
AnchorWatch’s offering places those responsibilities within a Nevada-chartered trust-company framework while allowing clients to retain varying levels of participation in key control. Its ability to combine that model with client-specific insurance and a fixed fee ceiling will depend on the underwriting terms and operating safeguards applied to each account.
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