UK-based digital asset exchange Archax is set to acquire Deutsche Digital Assets (DDA), a regulated crypto asset manager in Germany, in a move that strengthens its footprint in Europe’s two largest financial markets.
DDA manages around $70 million in assets and specializes in crypto exchange-traded products (ETPs) distributed through a network of European banks and asset managers.
The deal gives Archax new licenses under Germany’s BaFin, including permissions for portfolio management and investment advisory—key capabilities for serving institutional clients in the EU.
This acquisition builds on Archax’s 2023 purchase of Spanish broker KSCM. With the DDA deal, Archax now holds regulatory approvals in the UK, Germany, France and Spain, allowing it to operate across much of Europe’s fragmented digital asset landscape.
While the UK only recently opened the door to crypto ETPs for professional investors, Germany has had a head start. Archax now gains access to a market already accustomed to these products, along with the regulatory permissions to issue and distribute them.
The timing may prove important as market demand for tokenized assets and regulated digital instruments grows amid geopolitical uncertainty.
Archax also offers tokenized real-world assets—such as private equity or real estate—alongside its crypto offerings, positioning itself as a bridge between traditional finance and blockchain infrastructure.
Archax CEO Graham Rodford said the deal positions his firm as one of the most comprehensively licensed digital asset firms in Europe. DDA managing partner Maximilian Lautenschläger described the move as a natural fit that opens new market channels on both sides of the channel.
