Citi Sets Sights on Bitcoin Custody Launch as Digital Asset Platform Expands
Citi is preparing to enter the digital asset custody market, with bitcoin set to become the first cryptocurrency supported by its planned service later this year.
The Wall Street banking giant first announced in November 2025 that it was developing an in-house crypto custody offering for 2026. Citi has now confirmed that the service remains on track and will be integrated with its existing custody infrastructure, allowing clients to manage traditional assets and cryptocurrencies through the same framework.
The move is part of Citi's wider push into digital assets and blockchain-based financial infrastructure. Rather than treating crypto custody as a standalone product, the bank is incorporating it into a broader system designed for financial markets that increasingly operate around the clock.
Citi will offer the new crypto custody service through Custody+, a platform developed by its Investor Services division. The platform is designed to support markets moving toward continuous trading, faster settlement and increasingly digital forms of asset ownership.
The bank said its crypto custody technology will use the same digital asset architecture underpinning its other blockchain initiatives. Bitcoin will be the initial asset available through the service, with the potential for the offering to expand over time.
Citi's digital asset efforts have also extended into tokenized deposits and cross-border payments.
In January, the bank announced work with Intercontinental Exchange to support tokenized deposits across its clearinghouses. Citi later joined a Swift pilot focused on 24/7 international payments using tokenized deposits.
The bank is also participating in a group of major U.S. financial institutions working on a tokenized deposit network through The Clearing House. That project is currently targeting a launch during the first half of 2027.
Tokenized deposits are another major component of Citi's Custody+ strategy. The bank said its existing capabilities allow tokenized deposits to move almost instantly around the clock across selected Citi markets.
Beyond crypto custody and tokenized money, Custody+ is expected to include real-time asset servicing, instant settlement capabilities and liquidity management tools. Citi is also adding artificial intelligence-powered market intelligence to the platform.
The broader strategy reflects a shift in how large financial institutions are approaching digital assets. Instead of focusing solely on cryptocurrency trading, banks are increasingly building infrastructure around custody, tokenization, settlement and payments.
Citi's decision to begin with bitcoin gives the bank an entry point into institutional crypto custody while keeping the initial offering relatively focused. Its integration with traditional custody services could also make it easier for institutional clients to manage digital and conventional assets within a single operating environment.
With the launch expected later this year, Citi is positioning its digital asset custody service as one piece of a much larger effort to modernize institutional financial infrastructure.