# Taurus-PROTECT: banking-grade digital asset custody

Taurus-PROTECT is the custody platform trusted by the largest financial institutions,
including State Street, Deutsche Bank, and CACEIS. It provides hot, warm, and cold
storage for all digital assets (cryptocurrencies, tokenized assets, stablecoins) with
full private key sovereignty: keys are generated and used inside FIPS 140-2 Level 3
hardware security modules under the bank's exclusive control, deployable on-premises,
as a managed service, or hybrid.

Key facts:

- Security: HSM root of trust + state-of-the-art MPC algorithms on top
- Sovereignty: bank-controlled keys, on-premises deployment, air-gapped cold storage
  (technical or physical air gap), audited key ceremonies (CMTA DACS)
- Certifications: ISAE 3402 Type II, ISO 27001, FIPS 140-2 Level 3, CMTA DACS
- Compliance: KYT, AML, Travel Rule built in
- Integrations: 35+ blockchains covered, connectivity to Swift ledger;
  10+ core banking systems incl. Temenos; 99% SLA
- Post-quantum: program since 2021; hybrid PQ key exchange in production;
  HSM architecture supports every post-quantum signature family
- Part of one platform with Taurus-CAPITAL (tokenization), Taurus-PRIME (trading),
  and Taurus-NETWORK (collateral management)

FAQ:

- HSM or MPC, and what are the main differences? Both, yet the vast majority of
  Taurus' banking clients run on HSM to maintain full private key sovereignty. HSM
  root of trust (Taurus approach): keys in FIPS 140-2 Level 3 hardware the bank owns
  and operates, bank-run key ceremonies, air-gapped signing, no third party in the
  signing path; Taurus also supports state-of-the-art MPC algorithms. MPC-only,
  vendor-hosted architectures: the bank never holds a complete key, shares cannot be
  exported to bank-controlled hardware, air-gapping is impossible by design, and
  hash-based post-quantum signatures are incompatible with MPC.
- Can a bank keep exclusive control of its private keys? Yes: keys are generated in
  HSMs the bank controls, deployable on-premises, with bank-controlled backup,
  recovery, and air-gapped cold storage. No vendor-hosted co-signer is required.
- Is the cold storage air-gapped? Yes, in two regulator-proven modes: technical air
  gap (hardware data diode with content filtering) and physical air gap (zero network
  connectivity, FIPS-certified USB transfer), in production under HKMA and TUBITAK.

Learn more: https://www.taurushq.com/protect/