PANews reported on November 14, 2026, citing Cointelegraph, that Blockstream had introduced an institutional digital-asset custody system developed with French technology group Thales. It combines Thales hardware security modules with Blockstream’s Secure-MPC technology, allowing institutions to authorize transactions while keeping sensitive cryptographic operations inside dedicated security hardware.
Blockstream co-founder and CEO Adam Back said conventional MPC protocols are often too complex and interactive to use in fully offline cold storage. He cited what he described as a $6.3 billion Binance hack to illustrate the risks of connected custody infrastructure, arguing that keeping signing devices offline helps prevent unauthorized access.
The report describes how the system handles cryptographic operations, but does not specify who legally controls customer assets or what obligations a custodian would owe its clients.