How Businesses Can Start Moving Into Digital Assets Securely

InnovationHow Businesses Can Start Moving Into Digital Assets SecurelyByManny Khan,Forbes Councils Member.for Forbes Technology CouncilCOUNCIL POSTExpertise from Forbes Councils members, operated under license. Opinions expressed are those of the author. | Membership (fee-based)May 14, 2026, 03:30pm EDTManny Khan is the Deputy Chief Information Security Officer for BitGo. gettyBusinesses should be accelerating their transition to the digital asset economy today because it is present, it is now and it is here. The broader economy is already moving at lightning speed. Digital assets are moving at hyper-lightning speed. The question for business leaders is no longer whether this shift is happening. It is whether their organizations are prepared to participate in it securely and strategically.That is why I believe businesses need to stop treating digital assets as a generic technology project. This is not simply a matter of choosing a wallet, connecting an API or standing up new infrastructure. It is a custody, security, governance and operating model decision first. In my experience, that is where many companies get it wrong. They start with the tool instead of the framework.The views expressed are my own and are intended for general informational purposes only.​Start With Custody, Not ConvenienceThe first decision a business should make is not which wallet to use. It is whether the organization is actually prepared to hold digital assets itself. That decision depends on due diligence, internal maturity and a realistic understanding of risk. You cannot just hand this to your IT team and assume it will be fine. No offense to IT teams. They are great. But digital assets introduce a different kind of responsibility, and history has shown that preventable failures can become irreversible losses.For many businesses, especially those moving meaningful value, the more appropriate way forward may be through partnering with a regulated, institutional-grade digital asset infrast...