Description
Hex Trust is a fully licensed and regulated financial institution providing institutional-grade digital asset services. Founded in 2018, it serves protocols, financial institutions, and high net worth individuals with secure custody, staking, markets, and payment solutions.
Core Services
- Institutional Custody — Enterprise-grade digital asset storage with cold storage, HSM certification (FIPS 140-3 Level 3), and SOC 1 & SOC 2 Type II audited controls.
- Staking & Validator-as-a-Service — Earn rewards through institutional staking across multiple proof-of-stake blockchains.
- OTC Execution — Over-the-counter trading for large digital asset orders with minimal slippage.
- Token Wrapping — Convert native tokens into wrapped versions (e.g., wXRP) for cross-ecosystem DeFi use.
- Convert-to-Pay — API infrastructure for digital asset acceptance and compliant fiat settlement.
Regulation & Security
Regulated across Hong Kong (Trust Ordinance), Dubai (VARA VASP License), Singapore (MAS MPI License), France (AMF DASP), and Italy (OAM VASP). The platform is SOC 1/2 certified, with ISO 9001, ISO/IEC 27001, and ISO 22301 accredited data centers, plus CREST-approved penetration testing.
Who It Serves
- Protocols & Foundations — Treasury management, delegation, and staking infrastructure.
- Financial Institutions — Compliant custody, settlement, and market access.
- High Net Worth Individuals — White-glove wealth management via Aura by Hex Trust.
Highlights
Pros
- SOC 1 Type II and SOC 2 Type II certified with audits conducted by Deloitte and AssuranceLab, providing independently verified internal control assurance.
- Integrates Chainalysis KYT for real-time transaction monitoring and AML compliance, adding a blockchain analytics layer to its custody platform.
- Regulated across five jurisdictions — Hong Kong Trust Ordinance, Dubai VARA VASP, Singapore MAS MPI, France AMF DASP, and Italy OAM — providing a multi-regional compliance framework.
- Uses FIPS 140-3 Level 3 certified hardware security modules (HSMs) from Securosys for cryptographic key protection, meeting stringent government security standards.
- Supports over 20 blockchains including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Polkadot, Hedera, and Algorand, offering broad multi-chain custody coverage.
Cons
- SOC reports, insurance coverage schedules, and penetration testing results are not publicly accessible and require contacting sales, reducing upfront transparency.
- Lending service offering introduces institutional credit counterparty risk, which may not align with conservative treasury mandates seeking pure custody.
- Client onboarding is fully relationship-based with dedicated account managers and no self-serve signup, creating friction for smaller or faster-moving teams.
- No US trust company charter or federal oversight, limiting its appeal to US-based institutional investors who require a qualified custodian.