TL;DR:
- Citi will launch in 2026 an institutional Bitcoin custody infrastructure integrated into its $30 trillion asset management framework.
- The bank plans to custody native crypto assets directly on its own balance sheet, applying the same risk controls and regulatory frameworks as traditional securities.
- The initiative includes exploration of stablecoins, blockchain deposit tokens, and the use of Bitcoin as collateral alongside Treasury bonds.
Citi announced it will launch an institutional-scale Bitcoin custody infrastructure in 2026, with the goal of integrating it into its traditional finance system valued at $30 trillion. The news was confirmed by Nisha Surendran, head of the bank’s digital asset custody division, at the Strategy World event.
“Later this year, Citi will launch its infrastructure integrating Bitcoin into traditional finance,” Surendran stated. The executive specified that the starting point will be core custody, institutional-grade key management, and wallet infrastructure.
Making Bitcoin “Bankable”: Citi’s Institutional Approach
Unlike the indirect access models adopted by other banks, Citi plans to custody native crypto assets directly on its own balance sheet. Under this framework, Bitcoin positions will be incorporated into existing tax reporting flows and information channels, allowing institutions to manage their crypto holdings alongside equities and bonds within a unified account structure. Bitcoin transactions will be routed through the bank’s existing instruction channels, including Swift messaging and API connections.
Surendran also highlighted the potential of cross-margining between digital and conventional assets, which would allow clients to use Bitcoin as collateral within the same master account that already holds government bonds or Ethereum-tokenized money market funds.
The bank has been quietly developing this infrastructure for more than three years, according to Biswarup Chatterjee, global head of partnerships and innovation within Citi’s services division.
The Regulatory Shift
This was made possible in part by favorable regulatory changes in the United States during 2026, including the passage of the GENIUS Act, which provided greater regulatory clarity for banks offering digital asset services. Internal bank surveys suggest that approximately 10% of financial market volume could be digital within the next five years.
The initiative will be complemented by Citi Token Services for institutional payments and the evaluation of a potential proprietary stablecoin. If executed as planned, the launch would represent one of the most significant advances by a top-tier U.S. bank toward the real integration of Bitcoin into traditional finance.
