Crypto Industry Embraces Coopetition to Meet Institutional Risk-Control Needs

The crypto industry has traditionally promoted one-stop platforms combining trading, custody, lending, staking and settlement. Institutional investors, however, must separate responsibilities and use multiple providers to prevent a single counterparty’s operational failure, compliance problem or solvency issue from cascading across their operations. Specialized services and interoperable networks have therefore become critical to attracting institutional capital.

GlobalStake co-founder Thomas Chaffee wrote in American Banker on May 5, 2026, that major companies are investing in third-party integrations connecting independent custodians, multiple liquidity venues and external compliance tools, creating a coopetition model. The article was an industry commentary and did not involve a transaction or disclose any financial figures.