Anchorage chosen to handle digital assets seized by US Marshals Service

The US Marshals Service's search for a digital asset custodian has come to an end, with industry startup Anchorage announcing that it has been chosen as the agency's contractor. 

The USMS search for a custodian dates back to 2019, when it first began gathering information about potential service providers. The agency published subsequent documentation the following year. Anchorage will provide an array of services, per Wednesday's announcement, including custody, disposal, and accounting, among others.

"Today, after more than a year-long process, we are proud to announce that Anchorage Digital has been selected as the provider of digital asset custody and financial services for the United States Marshals Service (USMS), one of the primary law enforcement agencies of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ)," Anchorage said in a statement. "This award speaks to both the quality of the platform we have developed and the stringent processes and procedures we have put in place around its use."

The development comes months after Anchorage nabbed conditional approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for its national bank charter. 

Anchorage raised an $80 million funding round earlier this year from GIC, a16z and others.