A spokesperson for BNY Mellon declined to comment on the status of its crypto custody project. “BNY Mellon believes digital assets are here to stay, and increasingly becoming part of the mainstream of finance," he added. Offering to hold clients' digital assets appeared the safest way to enter the market. read moreThe SEC guidance departed from that practice. At a conference last week, the SEC's acting chief accountant said that custodied crypto assets present "unique" risks which meet the definition of a liability under U.S. accounting standards.

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