Citi's cryptocurrency custody plans are moving closer to reality, with the bank confirming that it intends to roll out crypto custody solutions later in 2026. Bitcoin will be the first asset covered by the new service.

The custody offering will be delivered through Citi's recently unveiled Custody+ platform, which combines crypto custody with the bank's traditional custody solutions. The integrated structure is designed to allow institutional clients to hold and manage both traditional and crypto assets from a single custody system rather than spreading holdings across separate arrangements.

Citi announced the news on August 18 in an official release. The bank stated that Custody+ would offer near- and real-time custody services suited to fast-settlement and continuously trading markets — a necessary feature given that digital assets trade around the clock with no downtime.

Bitcoin Is the Starting Point

"Citi Crypto Custody" will begin by providing custodial services for Bitcoin, although the bank has yet to confirm which additional cryptocurrencies might be supported at a later stage.

According to Citi, the service is scheduled to launch later in the year, reflecting the fact that digital assets operate 24/7 and have no downtime. To deliver the offering, Citi will leverage its digital asset architecture to connect crypto custody with its traditional custody operations. The approach is intended to give institutions an easier way to manage different asset classes without maintaining separate custody arrangements for each.

A Digital Asset Strategy Years in the Making

The custody launch marks the latest step in a digital asset strategy that Citi has been building for years. The bank had already announced plans to launch crypto custody services in 2026 but had not revealed details on exactly when the rollout would take place.

In 2021, Citi expanded its cryptocurrency activities by hiring a number of people to join its digital asset team as it prepared its digital asset business. The continued push indicates that Citi still sees a need for institutional infrastructure for cryptocurrencies, particularly amid increased participation by banks and other financial institutions in the digital asset market.

Citi enters the field as one of the world's largest custodian banks, following peers that have already built digital asset custody operations. BNY Mellon began offering digital asset custody to select institutional clients in 2022, and State Street set up its State Street Digital division in 2021 to service digital assets. The regulatory backdrop has also shifted: in 2025, the OCC and other US federal banking regulators confirmed that crypto custody is a permissible banking activity and withdrew earlier notification requirements that applied to banks engaging with digital assets.

Bitcoin Leads the Push Into Crypto

Bitcoin will form the initial basis of Citi's crypto custody services, although the bank has not said whether other assets, such as Ethereum or other cryptocurrencies, will eventually be accepted.

The move comes at a time of increased institutional demand for Bitcoin custody. Financial firms have been seeking regulated systems capable of accommodating digital assets alongside traditional financial products, and demand for such infrastructure has continued to rise. Qualified custodians have become a standard component of regulated digital asset products in the United States since spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds launched in January 2024, with those funds relying on custodians to safeguard their Bitcoin holdings.

Citi's strategy could also help bridge the gap between traditional finance and cryptocurrency by allowing clients to access both types of services through a single platform.

The upcoming launch will mark the bank's latest venture into the world of cryptocurrencies. Once the Bitcoin custody services go live, Citi's next planned steps regarding other digital assets are expected to draw attention from many crypto market participants.