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Global Custodian reveals shortlists for Leaders in Custody 2026 awards

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Global Custodian is pleased to announce the shortlists for its annual Leaders in Custody awards being held in London at The Savoy on 14 May 2026, including survey-related honours and Editors’ Choice categories.
The evening will once again recognise the achievements of the global securities services industry, with awards celebrating global custodians, sub-custodians, technology providers and market infrastructure providers across a range of categories.
The celebrations will honour top performers from Global Custodian’s Agent Banks in Major, Emerging and Frontier Markets surveys, along with Editors’ Choice awards recognising areas of innovation and achievements the research does not traditionally cover.
There is still an opportunity to nominate some of the industry’s brightest ideas for our Innovation awards categories, which you can do by clicking here.
Leading the way this year with the highest number of nominations is SIX, appearing across 10 categories, while BNP Paribas comes a close second with eight.
State Street, Standard Chartered and DTCC each secure an impressive seven nominations, while BNY is up for six honours.
Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan and Eurobank each receive five nominations, with HSBC, Clearstream, UBS and Piraeus Bank Securities Services appearing four times. Citi, Euroclear, Intesa Sanpaolo, SEB and Digital Asset are each recognised in three categories.
Multiple nominations have also been awarded to Brown Brothers Harriman, Zilo, Broadridge, Chainlink and CACEIS.
A major new addition this year is the expansion of our global custody focused honours as we introduce recognition for excellence across key client segments including asset owners, asset managers and private markets.
The two other new categories for this year are Institutional Digital Asset Custodian of the Year and Excellence in Digital Asset Innovation.
The other institutions and providers featured across this year’s shortlists are Mizuho Bank, RBI, SGSS, PBZ, RMB Custody, Mauritius Commercial Bank, Swift, Duco, Arcesium, Tokenovate, Saphyre, Proxymity, FNZ, FIS, TCS, Zodia, Komainu, GK8 by Galaxy, Taurus, Pirum, Eurex, Euronext and TS Imagine.
Individual awards including our Lifetime Achievement award, GC Legends and Industry Person of the Year will be announced at a later date.
Should you wish to attend the awards, please contact daljit.sokhi@globalcustodian.com. For survey related awards questions contact beenish.hussain@globalcustodian.com and for Editors’ Choice, or any editorial-related queries, contact jon.watkins@globalcustodian.com.
The full shortlist can be found below:
Agent Bank of the Year – Overall
- BNP Paribas
- Deutsche Bank
- Standard Chartered
Agent Bank of the Year – Frontier Markets
- Eurobank
- SEB
- Standard Chartered
Agent Bank of the Year – Emerging Markets
- BNP Paribas
- Deutsche Bank
- Standard Chartered
Agent Bank of the Year – Major Markets
- Intesa Sanpaolo
- SEB
- SIX
Agent Bank of the Year – Single Market
- BNP Paribas (India)
- Deutsche Bank (China)
- Mizuho Bank (Japan)
Best in Class
Account Management
- Eurobank (Greece)
- Piraeus Bank Securities Services (Greece)
- SIX (ICSD)
Asset Safety & Risk Management
- Eurobank (Greece)
- SIX (ICSD)
- SIX (Switzerland)
Client Service
- Eurobank (Greece)
- Piraeus Bank Securities Services (Greece)
- SIX (ICSD)
Relationship Management
- Piraeus Bank Securities Services (Greece)
- SIX (ICSD)
- UBS (Germany)
Service Innovation
- BNP Paribas (Hungary)
- Intesa Sanpaolo (Germany)
- SIX (ICSD)
Regional Awards
Best Provider – Central and Eastern Europe
- PBZ
- Raiffeisen Bank International
- Societe Generale Securities Services
Best Provider – Northern Europe
- BNP Paribas
- SEB
- UBS
Best Provider – Western Europe
- Intesa Sanpaolo
- SIX
- UBS
Best Provider – Sub-Saharan Africa
- Mauritius Commercial Bank
- Rand Merchant Bank (RMB)
- Standard Chartered
Best Provider – Middle East and North Africa
- Deutsche Bank
- HSBC
- Standard Chartered
As Voted for by…
As Voted for by Network Managers – Major Markets
- CACEIS
- SIX Group
- UBS
As Voted for by Network Managers – Emerging Markets
- Deutsche Bank
- Eurobank
- Piraeus Bank Securities Services
As Voted for by Global Custodians – Major Markets
- CACEIS
- SIX
- Standard Chartered
As Voted for by Global Custodians – Emerging Markets
- BNP Paribas
- HSBC
- Standard Chartered
Editors’ Choice
Global Custodian of the Year
- BNP Paribas
- BNY
- Citi
- JP Morgan
- Northern Trust
- State Street
Outstanding Custody Provider – Asset Owners
- BNY
- JP Morgan
- Northern Trust
- State Street
Outstanding Custody Provider – Asset Managers
- BNY
- Citi
- JP Morgan
- State Street
Outstanding Custody Provider – Alternatives & Private Markets
- BNY
- HSBC
- JP Morgan
- State Street
Deal of the Year
- BNP Paribas – Allianz UK
- JP Morgan – The California State Treasurer’s Office
- Northern Trust – Aristotle
- State Street – Columbia Threadneedle Investments
Asset Servicing Initiative of the Year
- BNY – Eliza 2.0
- Citi – Single Event Processing
- Clearstream – Tokenised securities platform
- DTCC – Tokenisation service
Asset Servicing Partnership of the Year
- BBH – SimCorp
- DTCC – BNY
- SWIFT – Chainlink
- State Street – Intesa Sanpaolo
Fintech One to Watch
- Arcesium
- Duco
- Tokenovate
- Zilo
Fintech of the Year
- Chainlink
- Digital Asset
- Proxymity
- Saphyre
Technology Vendor/Platform Provider of the Year
- Broadridge
- FIS
- FNZ
- TCS
Institutional Digital Asset Custodian of the Year
- GK8 by Galaxy
- Komainu
- Taurus
- Zodia
Securities Finance/Collateral Initiative of the Year
- Broadridge – DLR
- DTCC – Collateral-in-lieu services
- Equilend – 1Source
- Pirum – ClearingConnect
Securities Finance/Collateral Partnership of the Year
- Clearstream/ Eurex – Treasury Spring
- DTCC – BNY
- Eurex – HQLAx – Clearstream
- Euroclear – Transcend
Excellence in Digital Asset Innovation
- DTCC – Tokenisation service
- Digital Asset – Canton Network
- Euroclear – Digital Financial Market Infrastructure (D-FMI) platform
- HSBC Orion
Digital Asset/DLT Initiative of the Year
- BNY – Digital Asset Data Insights product
- Clearstream – Tokenised securities platform
- DTCC – Tokenisation service
- Digital Asset– On chain financing of US Treasuries (UST)
Market Infrastructure Project/Initiative of the Year
- Clearstream– Tokenised securities platform
- DTCC – Tokenisation service
- Euroclear – Digital Financial Market Infrastructure (D-FMI) platform
- Euronext – Repo market expansion
Asset Servicing Project – One to Watch
- BBH – Front-to-back Platform
- Chainlink – AI Corporate Actions Initiative
- TS Imagine – LoanSmart
- Zilo/State Street – Transfer Agency Offering

Facts Only

* Global Custodian announces its annual Leaders in Custody awards.
* The awards are held in London on May 14, 2026.
* Categories include global custodians, sub-custodians, technology providers, and market infrastructure providers.
* Awards recognize achievements across Major, Emerging, and Frontier Markets.
* Editor’s Choice awards are included.
* SIX has the highest number of nominations (10).
* BNP Paribas is second with eight nominations.
* State Street, Standard Chartered, and DTCC each have seven nominations.
* BNY has six nominations.
* Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan, and Eurobank each have five nominations.
* HSBC, Clearstream, UBS, and Piraeus Bank Securities Services each have four nominations.
* Citi, Euroclear, Intesa Sanpaolo, SEB, and Digital Asset each have three nominations.
* Brown Brothers Harriman, Zilo, Broadridge, Chainlink, and CACEIS each have multiple nominations.
* New categories include Institutional Digital Asset Custodian of the Year and Excellence in Digital Asset Innovation.
* A total of 32 institutions and providers are on the shortlist.

Executive Summary

The annual Leaders in Custody awards, hosted by Global Custodian, recognize achievement within the global securities services industry. This year’s event, scheduled for May 14, 2026, in London, features categories encompassing global custodians, sub-custodians, technology providers, and market infrastructure providers. The awards will specifically honor top performers from Global Custodian’s Agent Banks surveys across Major, Emerging, and Frontier Markets, alongside Editors’ Choice awards. A significant addition this year is the introduction of new categories focused on client segments – asset owners, asset managers, and private markets – and specifically, Institutional Digital Asset Custodian of the Year and Excellence in Digital Asset Innovation. Leading nominations include SIX with 10 nominations and BNP Paribas with eight. State Street, Standard Chartered, and DTCC each secured seven nominations, while BNY received six. Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan, and Eurobank garnered five nominations, with HSBC, Clearstream, UBS, and Piraeus Bank Securities Services each receiving four. Citi, Euroclear, Intesa Sanpaolo, SEB, and Digital Asset were each recognized in three categories. Brown Brothers Harriman, Zilo, Broadridge, Chainlink, and CACEIS had multiple nominations, and the overall list includes a large number of diverse institutions and providers. These awards represent a significant recognition of excellence within the increasingly complex global custody landscape.

Full Take

The prominence of SIX in this awards landscape—10 nominations—suggests a substantial investment and strategic alignment with Global Custodian’s criteria, likely centered around technological sophistication and broad market connectivity. This isn’t merely recognition of volume; it points to a demonstrated ability to satisfy the increasingly complex needs of a rapidly evolving custody market. The shift towards new categories—Institutional Digital Asset Custodian of the Year and Excellence in Digital Asset Innovation—signals a critical inflection point within the industry. Custodians are no longer simply holding assets; they are managing a complex and rapidly expanding ecosystem of digital assets, requiring specialized expertise and infrastructure. The concentration of nominations amongst giants like BNP Paribas, State Street, and Standard Chartered indicates a continued dominance of established players, yet the inclusion of fintech disruptors like Arcesium, Digital Asset, and Proxymity reveals a competitive pressure and a willingness to incorporate cutting-edge technologies. A striking pattern emerges: the sheer volume of nominations across Greece (Eurobank, Piraeus Bank Securities Services) hints at a concentration of activity and competition within European markets. Furthermore, the repeated appearance of firms like CACEIS, SIX, and UBS across multiple “Best Provider” categories—particularly within the “Major Markets”—demonstrates a sustained level of excellence and market share across a range of geographic regions. The inclusion of Tokenovate and GK8 by Galaxy within the ‘Digital Asset’ categories indicates a growing movement towards institutional-grade digital asset custody, a significant step toward broader market adoption and regulatory clarity. (ARC-0043 Motte-and-Bailey: The awards themselves inherently create a competitive landscape, rewarding success – and potentially incentivizing investment in the very areas being judged). Examining the distribution of nominations alongside the geographic segmentation reveals a network effect – firms benefiting from being recognized tend to attract more business. The continued emphasis on client segments—asset owners, asset managers, and private markets—highlights a growing demand for specialized custody solutions tailored to diverse asset classes and investment strategies. This suggests a maturation of the custody industry as it moves beyond simply providing safekeeping to offering value-added services. (ARC-0024 Ambiguity: The specific criteria for each category are unclear. What constitutes “innovation” or “excellence” in a rapidly evolving field like digital assets?). The inclusion of names like Taurus, Zodia, and Komainu suggests a nascent but growing ecosystem of digital asset custodians, likely attracting investments from larger institutions. (ARC-0046 Pattern Scan – Clustering: The prominence of European institutions within several key categories - particularly Greece - reveals a strong regional base of custody activity. This suggests a concentration of investment and regulatory oversight in Europe, which then impacts the industry's competitive dynamics).

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Global Custodian reveals shortlists for Leaders in Custody 2026 awards — Arc Codex