Anchorage Digital Bank, recognized as the first federally chartered cryptocurrency bank in the United States, has expanded its digital asset custody services by adding Etherlink and seven tokens based on the Tezos layer-2 network. This new offering notably includes xU3O8, a token that provides direct exposure to physical uranium.
Expansion of Custody Services
The move allows Anchorage’s institutional clients to securely store and manage a variety of assets issued on Etherlink, an Ethereum Virtual Machine-compatible (EVM) layer-2 network that settles transactions on Tezos. Anchorage confirmed that these tokens are held in segregated accounts, benefitting from protections under the federal bank charter.
The assets now supported include wrapped XTZ (WXTZ), which mirrors the price of the Tezos network’s native coin, liquid staking token stXTZ, stablecoins USDT, USDC, USDSM, and wrapped Ether (WETH), in addition to xU3O8.
Etherlink enables users to deploy EVM-based decentralized applications (dApps) while benefiting from Tezos’s consensus mechanism and security. This network aims to foster broader adoption by bridging Ethereum-native tools and environments with Tezos’s infrastructure.
Mini dictionary: Etherlink is a layer-2 blockchain network compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), allowing Ethereum-based dApps and assets to operate on Tezos infrastructure while utilizing Tezos consensus and lower transaction costs.
xU3O8: Tokenized Uranium Exposure
The xU3O8 token is designed to represent actual ownership of physical uranium, letting investors gain exposure to the commodity without the challenges of directly storing or handling it. Current data from CoinMarketCap places the token’s market capitalization at just over $9 million, reflecting moderate investor demand for this niche product.
According to Anchorage, direct exposure to physical uranium has long required the involvement of specialist intermediaries and typically came with lengthy settlement periods and significant minimum investment requirements. The company stated that tokenization allows for faster, more efficient settlement, reducing these periods from weeks to minutes for digital asset holders.
xU3O8 allows investors to gain exposure to uranium by holding a digital token backed by physical reserves, with Anchorage emphasizing the benefits of tokenization for faster and more flexible settlement.
Institutional Custody Landscape
Anchorage Digital Bank is regulated as a federally charted trust, focused on providing compliant custody infrastructure for institutional digital asset investors.
While Anchorage is one of the major crypto custody providers in the US, it is not the sole player in this space. In August 2025, Hex Trust, a digital asset custody specialist based in Asia, also integrated Etherlink, enabling custody solutions for xU3O8 and other associated assets. This points to growing institutional interest in tokenized commodities and multi-network asset safekeeping.
By expanding custody to Etherlink assets, Anchorage aims to attract a new wave of institutional participation in digital commodities and stablecoin markets within the Tezos ecosystem.
| Asset | Type | Key Feature | Now Supported By Anchorage? |
|---|---|---|---|
| xU3O8 | Commodity token | Represents physical uranium | Yes |
| WXTZ | Wrapped native coin | Mirrors Tezos’ XTZ price | Yes |
| stXTZ | Liquid staking token | Staked XTZ for yield | Yes |
| USDT | Stablecoin | Pegged to US dollar | Yes |
| USDC | Stablecoin | Pegged to US dollar | Yes |
| USDSM | Stablecoin | Pegged to US dollar | Yes |
| WETH | Wrapped token | Mirrors Ethereum’s ETH | Yes |
The development reflects a broader trend of integrating physical assets and commodities into blockchain-based investment vehicles, potentially expanding access and liquidity for both institutional and retail investors worldwide.
