Caroline Bishop
Feb 20, 2026 17:06
Swiss custodian Blockfort launches institutional NFT storage for Tezos and Etherlink, concentrating on galleries and collectors with regulated infrastructure.
Blockfort, the Swiss digital asset custodian fashioned simply over a yr in the past, has launched what it calls a Digital Artwork Fortress—institutional-grade NFT storage constructed particularly for the Tezos ecosystem and its EVM-compatible layer Etherlink.
The February 20 announcement marks the corporate’s push into cultural asset custody, concentrating on skilled collectors, galleries, and establishments who want regulated infrastructure for high-value digital artwork. Blockfort operates beneath VQF licensing, which it secured in April 2025 after launching as a three way partnership between Offx AG and CO3TMRW AG in January 2025.
Why Tezos for Institutional Artwork?
The Tezos Basis backed this integration, and the reasoning is sensible. Since 2021, Tezos has carved out a real area of interest within the NFT artwork world—objkt.com stays one of many extra lively marketplaces for digital artwork, and the community hosts a creator group that is really engaged fairly than purely speculative.
However institutional cash has largely stayed on the sidelines. The hole? Custody options that meet compliance requirements. Banks and household places of work will not contact NFTs saved in browser extension wallets.
Blockfort’s pitch addresses this instantly. The platform combines Swiss-regulated custody with Fireblocks infrastructure—a partnership formalized in February 2025—plus PwC-audited operational controls. Switzerland’s regulatory framework has protected crypto asset possession rights since 2019, which issues for establishments anxious about authorized readability.
What’s Really on Supply
Past storage, Blockfort gives visualization instruments for managing digital artwork portfolios and a white-glove minting service. That final piece targets conventional artists and galleries getting into the blockchain area who do not need to work out pockets setup and fuel charges themselves.
The corporate hasn’t disclosed pricing or minimal custody thresholds, which generally indicators this is not constructed for retail collectors. Institutional custody companies in crypto typically begin at six-figure minimums.
For Tezos, this represents one other infrastructure play aimed toward legitimizing the ecosystem for greater gamers. Whether or not galleries and museums really transfer property into regulated Swiss custody stays the true take a look at—bulletins do not equal adoption.
Picture supply: Shutterstock