TL;DR
- Citi plans to launch native bitcoin custody for institutional clients later in 2026 through its Custody+ platform.
- The service will allow BTC to sit alongside traditional assets within Citi’s established custody infrastructure.
- The rollout expands Citi’s broader digital asset strategy, which already includes tokenized deposits, crypto ETF custody and blockchain-based payment initiatives.
Citi is preparing to add native bitcoin custody to its institutional services later this year, placing BTC alongside traditional holdings through its new Custody+ platform. The move gives professional investors another route to regulated crypto infrastructure while connecting bitcoin with banking systems they already use.
Citi’s Investor Services business says Custody+ is designed for markets moving toward faster settlement and more continuous operations. The bitcoin service will initially support BTC and sit within the same framework as traditional custody capabilities. Citi has said it plans to launch digital asset custody in the U.S. in 2026, while its Investor Day materials confirmed that native crypto custody is nearing launch.
Bitcoin Custody Moves Into Mainstream Bank Infrastructure
For institutional investors, the appeal is simplifying asset administration. A client could potentially keep bitcoin with the same global custodian handling equities, bonds and funds. That can reduce operational fragmentation and provide familiar reporting.
Citi says more than 80% of certain custody events in its U.S. operations are now processed in real time, while processing times have fallen by as much as 92%. Custody+ reflects the broader shift toward always-on financial infrastructure, an approach that could become increasingly relevant as digital assets move deeper into institutional markets.
The rollout arrives as U.S. banks gain more room to provide crypto custody. The SEC withdrew SAB 121 in 2025, while the OCC reaffirmed that national banks may provide permissible crypto-asset custody services. Those developments have reduced regulatory barriers that previously made bank-based crypto custody harder to scale.
Citi Expands Its Digital Asset Infrastructure
The bitcoin initiative is part of a wider digital asset strategy. Citi says it has already offered custody for stablecoin reserves and crypto ETFs. It has also expanded tokenized deposit services, including a 24/7 U.S. dollar clearing solution that went live with Siam Commercial Bank in July.
Citi is also participating in Swift’s blockchain ledger pilot, involving 17 banks testing cross-border payments with tokenized deposits. The initiative reflects the financial sector’s growing interest in using blockchain infrastructure for settlement and payment processes.
