Citi is preparing to launch Bitcoin custody services for institutions by the end of the year.

Citi has launched its Custody+ platform, confirming its strategies to introduce institutional digital asset custody in 2026, starting with Bitcoin.

According to a Business Wire report on August 18, Citi Investor Services has rolled out Custody+, a suite of near- and real-time custody services designed for institutional clients working across continuous markets and shortened settlement cycles.

This initiative establishes a clear timeline for Citi’s digital asset custody service, which is expected to launch later this year with an emphasis on supporting Bitcoin (BTC).

Instead of establishing a separate product for Bitcoin custody, Citi plans to integrate this service within its overarching digital asset architecture. This allows institutional clients to access both traditional securities and cryptocurrency custody from a single framework, although no specific launch date or client names have been disclosed.

Citi Custody+ merges Bitcoin and securities services

Custody+ modernizes the traditional custody model by offering modular services that clients can tailor to their operational systems and workflows. Citi’s existing custody network caters to clients in over 100 markets, with 62 of those featuring the bank’s own infrastructure.

The digital asset custody will coexist with real-time settlement, liquidity management, foreign exchange services, and market data. In this proposed setup, an asset manager holding Bitcoin alongside conventional securities can utilize a single Citi environment for all custody services, eliminating the need for separate operating systems.

Previous coverage from crypto.news outlined Citi’s intentions to link Bitcoin to existing reporting, tax, control, and portfolio systems associated with traditional assets. A February report mentioned that the bank is developing key management and wallet infrastructure in preparation for the 2026 institutional roll-out.

By October 2025, Citi had reportedly invested two to three years into designing the custody service, according to Biswarup Chatterjee, the bank’s global head of partnerships and innovation. Chatterjee noted that the bank was weighing a mix of internally developed technology and third-party systems to cater to various assets and client segments.

“We may have specific solutions that are completely designed and built in-house, aimed at certain assets and segments of our clients,” Chatterjee told CNBC, while also indicating the potential use of third-party solutions for other assets.

The latest announcement identifies Bitcoin as the first cryptocurrency to be supported, though it remains unclear which other assets may follow. Additionally, Citi has not indicated whether its custody technology will be fully developed in-house or maintain the hybrid model discussed in 2025.

Real-time processing bolsters Citi’s Bitcoin custody strategy

The introduction of Custody+ follows Citi’s successful implementation of its patented Single Event Processing technology (SEP) in the U.S., which allows the seamless processing of asset-servicing transactions across both domestic and international custody networks.

According to Citi, over 80% of its total event volume is now managed in real time. In the U.S., SEP has reduced processing times for voluntary corporate actions by up to 92%, with 96% of these events being completed in less than two hours.

Instant settlement services ensure client instructions are effectively linked with final settlements at central securities depositories. The bank also offers integrated ledger capabilities and real-time data, granting clients transaction visibility across its 62 proprietary custody markets.

In addition to settlement functionality, the platform encompasses automated hedging and real-time foreign exchange execution. Cash tools available include instant position updates, liquidity sweeps, funding services, and cash-balance projections linked to custody transactions.

Chris Cox, head of Investor Services at Citi, stated that the bank invests over $2 billion each year into its platform strategy, focusing on speed, scale, and availability.

“Custody+ exemplifies this investment as we create infrastructure designed to eliminate latency and friction for our institutional clients,” Cox mentioned.

He added that Citi is leveraging its global network alongside data and technology to facilitate institutions requiring continuous market access, transparency, and precise transaction processing.

Citi Token Services facilitates around-the-clock deposits

Complementing the upcoming Bitcoin service, Citi Token Services already enables near-instant transfer of tokenized deposits at any time across select Citi markets. This product utilizes blockchain-based settlement for commercial bank deposits instead of relying on a publicly issued stablecoin.

Custody+ also features tax-document processing enhanced by artificial intelligence, which has reportedly reduced processing times by up to 70%. Moreover, the bank’s Market Guide platform provides regulatory and operational information to clients across more than 100 locations.

Through cloud sharing and application programming interfaces, institutions can tap into Citi data for their analytics and AI systems. The platform’s white-label option allows financial companies to utilize Citi’s infrastructure for transaction instructions, workflow management, reporting, and customer market information delivery.

“Custody+ is the culmination of a multi-year commitment to developing infrastructure that aligns with the speed of our clients’ strategies,” stated Amit Agarwal, head of Custody at Citi Investor Services.

Agarwal noted that the individual services are tailored to assist clients in simplifying their operating models amid increasingly complex custody operations.

Citi broadens its institutional tokenization efforts

In addition to Bitcoin, Citi is focusing on products that place traditional financial claims on blockchain networks. In June, the bank revealed plans to provide wealthy and institutional clients with tokenized depositary receipts linked to shares of private companies.

This private-share platform will initially target investors outside the United States, with Citi acting as both issuer and custodian. The bank has hinted that it might consider U.S. participation if regulatory conditions allow.

Under this proposed structure, clients would gain regulated access to private firms through instruments issued by Citi, rather than through direct stock purchases. Citi has been in discussions with several large private companies, but has yet to publicly disclose any potential participants.

Private companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic have seen significant investor interest while remaining outside public stock exchanges. However, participation in the Citi service would be confined to clients who fulfill specific institutional or wealth criteria.

Citi’s tokenization initiatives follow a June research report estimating the global market for tokenized securities at roughly $17 billion, with projections suggesting a surge to $5.5 trillion by 2030, encompassing estimates from $2.7 trillion to $8.2 trillion.

For the U.S. market, Citi forecasts that around 10% of Treasury bills and 3% of publicly traded stocks could be tokenized by 2030. Additionally, the bank anticipates that stablecoin growth could yield about $1 trillion in added demand for U.S. Treasuries.

Citi’s research projects that transitioning about 10% of everyday U.S. investors to digital trading platforms could unlock $2.6 trillion in demand for digital stocks. This forecast includes tokenized Treasury bills, equities, funds, and various financial instruments, while the newly revealed Custody+ platform will initially focus its digital asset custody provisions exclusively on Bitcoin.