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Citigroup confirmed on Aug. 18 that it plans to offer Bitcoin custody to institutional clients before the end of 2026.
The servicewill launch as part of a new platform called Custody+, developed by Citi Investor Services, which is designed to process custody, settlement, foreign exchange and cash management in near-real time. No specific launch date within 2026 has been announced.
The bank first disclosed plans for native crypto custody in November 2025. The Aug. 18 announcement placed that service inside the broader Custody+ framework. Clients will be able to hold Bitcoin (BTC) through the same infrastructure the bank uses for their stocks and bonds. The Bitcoin offering is being built on Citi’s common digital asset architecture.
Citi Custody Network Already Covers More Than 100 Markets
Citi’s custody operation currently serves clients in more than 100 markets. It runs its own custody network in 62 of them. Adding BTC to that infrastructure would let institutions hold crypto with the samecustodian managing their traditional securities. That removes the need for a separate crypto custody provider. Amit Agarwal, head of custody at Citi Investor Services, said Custody+ is the result of “a multi-year commitment to building infrastructure that matches the speed of our clients’ strategies.”
The Custody+ rollout also includes real-time asset servicing, instant settlements, liquidity tools, tokenized deposit capabilities, and AI-powered market intelligence. Citi reported that more than 80% of custody-related processing events now occur in real time. Its updated system has cut processing times by as much as 92%, with 96% of events now completed within two hours.
Related Article:Are Bitcoin Treasury Companies Losing Their Financing Edge in 2026?
Citi is not the first major financial institution to move into Bitcoin custody. BNY began offering crypto custody to select US clients in 2022. Fidelity Digital Assets and Coinbase (COIN) also provide institutional custody services. US banks were handed more regulatory space to enter the business in 2025 when the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) withdrew SAB 121, an accounting rule that had made it more costly for banks to hold crypto assets on behalf of customers.
Citi has been active on the digital asset front throughout 2026. In January, it announced work with Intercontinental Exchange to enable tokenized deposits across clearinghouses. In July, it joined a Swift pilot for continuous cross-borderpayments using tokenized deposits. It is also part of a group of major US banks developing a tokenized deposit network through The Clearing House, with a target launch in the first half of 2027.
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Source: coinmarketcap.com