Citi to Launch Bitcoin Custody for Institutional Clients — SkimNews
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- Citi announced Bitcoin custody will launch later this year as part of its Custody+ suite, letting institutional clients access traditional and crypto custody through the same framework
- Amit Agarwal, Head of Custody at Citi Investor Services, called Custody+ a response to client needs for "next-generation architecture" replacing legacy systems amid rising operational complexity
- The announcement expands on plans Citi revealed in October to bring institutional Bitcoin custody to market in 2026
- More than 80% of Citi's asset-servicing event volume now runs in real time, and its Citi Token Services platform enables 24/7 tokenized deposit transfers across select markets
- Morgan Stanley applied in February for a national trust bank charter for an entity that would offer crypto custody
- The NYSE said in January it is working with Citi and BNY on a blockchain-based platform supporting tokenized stocks and ETFs
Why it matters: Citi's Custody+ folds crypto custody into the same workflow as traditional securities, removing a key operational hurdle for institutional clients weighing Bitcoin exposure. With Morgan Stanley and the NYSE-BNY-Citi blockchain project also pushing into digital assets, Bitcoin custody is becoming standard bank infrastructure rather than a specialty product.
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