Citigroup will introduce Bitcoin custody for institutional clients by late 2026, integrating crypto and traditional assets under its new Custody+ platform and expanding access to digital asset infrastructure.
Citigroup is preparing to roll out Bitcoin custody for institutional clients by the end of 2026, according to an announcement from the bank. The new service will be delivered through Custody+, a platform developed by Citi Investor Services that aims to let clients manage both digital and traditional assets within a single operational framework. While Citi has not specified an exact launch date, the move signals a significant expansion of its digital asset infrastructure for large financial clients.
Unified Asset Management
Custody+ is designed to handle custody, settlement, foreign exchange, and cash management in near-real time, according to Citi. The platform will allow institutional clients to hold Bitcoin alongside stocks and bonds, using the same infrastructure that currently supports traditional securities. Citi says the Bitcoin custody service is being built on its common digital asset architecture, which is intended to streamline operations and reduce the need for separate crypto custodians.
Operational Scale and Efficiency
Citi's custody business already operates in over 100 markets, with a proprietary network in 62 of them. By adding Bitcoin to this infrastructure, the bank aims to offer institutions a way to consolidate their asset management and reduce operational complexity. Citi reports that more than 80% of custody-related processing events now occur in real time, and its updated system has reduced processing times by up to 92%, with 96% of events completed within two hours. The Custody+ rollout will also include features such as real-time asset servicing, instant settlements, liquidity management tools, tokenized deposit support, and AI-driven market intelligence.
Competitive and Regulatory Context
Citi is not the first major U.S. bank to enter the institutional Bitcoin custody market. BNY began offering crypto custody to select U.S. clients in 2022, and other providers like Fidelity Digital Assets and Coinbase also serve institutional customers. The regulatory environment for U.S. banks changed in 2025 when the Securities and Exchange Commission withdrew SAB 121, an accounting rule that had previously increased the cost of holding crypto assets on behalf of clients. This shift has opened the door for more banks to expand into digital asset custody, as seen in other recent moves such as Visa's expansion of stablecoin payouts to 195 countries, covered in EgonCoin's report on Visa's global stablecoin integration.
Broader Digital Asset Initiatives
Throughout 2026, Citi has been active in digital asset initiatives beyond custody. In January, the bank announced a collaboration with Intercontinental Exchange to enable tokenized deposits across clearinghouses. By July, Citi joined a Swift pilot focused on continuous cross-border payments using tokenized deposits. The bank is also part of a consortium of major U.S. banks working with The Clearing House to develop a tokenized deposit network, with a target launch in the first half of 2027. These efforts reflect a broader trend among large financial institutions to integrate blockchain-based solutions into traditional financial infrastructure.
According to Citi, its global custody business manages assets for clients in more than 100 markets, and the addition of Bitcoin custody is expected to further expand its digital asset capabilities. As of August 2026, Citi has not disclosed the expected volume of Bitcoin under custody or the specific fee structure for the new service. The bank's move follows a period of rapid growth in institutional interest in digital assets, with U.S. banks and financial firms increasingly seeking to offer integrated crypto and traditional asset services to their clients.
Institutional crypto custody differs from retail custody in several key ways. Large financial institutions require robust operational controls, regulatory compliance, and integration with existing settlement and reporting systems. By offering Bitcoin custody through the same infrastructure used for traditional assets, banks like Citi aim to reduce operational risk and simplify asset management for clients. However, digital asset custody still carries unique risks, including private key management, regulatory uncertainty, and evolving security threats. Institutions considering these services must weigh the benefits of unified custody against the ongoing challenges of safeguarding digital assets in a rapidly changing environment.
