Citi Plans Bitcoin Custody Through New Custody+ Platform

Citi expects to launch native bitcoin custody later in 2026 through Custody+, a new platform that brings traditional securities and digital assets into the same institutional custody framework.

Bitcoin will be the first native crypto asset supported, according to Citi’s announcement. The bank has not disclosed an exact launch date, client eligibility, pricing, supported jurisdictions or whether other cryptocurrencies will follow.

What Citi announced

Custody+ is a suite of near- and real-time services from Citi Investor Services. Alongside the planned bitcoin service, the platform is designed to support faster asset servicing, near-instant settlement, liquidity management and market intelligence across traditional and digital assets.

Citi had already telegraphed the move. At its May 2026 Investor Day, the bank said it was preparing custody for native crypto assets such as bitcoin and already offered custody for stablecoin reserves and crypto exchange-traded funds. The new announcement places native-asset custody inside the broader Custody+ platform and gives it a launch window later this year.

The service is being built on Citi’s common digital-asset architecture. That may make it easier for institutional clients to manage conventional securities, tokenized instruments and native crypto through a familiar bank relationship rather than separate operational systems.

Bitcoin custody is not bitcoin yield

Custody means the safekeeping and administration of an asset. For native bitcoin, that generally includes private-key security, transaction controls, recordkeeping and policies for deposits and withdrawals. Citi has not announced an interest rate or yield feature for Custody+.

• Pure custody: The provider safeguards BTC. No return is created merely by holding it.
• ETF custody: Safekeeping bitcoin for an exchange-traded fund does not mean fund shareholders own directly withdrawable BTC.

Bitcoin also does not use proof-of-stake. Products marketed as “bitcoin staking” usually rely on a third-party reward, lending or protocol structure rather than native staking on the Bitcoin network.

Why the bank-grade route matters

A major global bank entering native bitcoin custody could give institutions another regulated operational route into the asset. Some asset managers, corporations and funds may prefer an established bank’s compliance, reporting and custody controls, particularly when they already use that institution for cash, securities or foreign exchange.

Citi is also building adjacent digital-asset infrastructure. Its tokenized-deposit products move bank money around the clock, while the bank has participated in efforts to connect traditional payment systems with blockchain networks. We previously examined Citi’s role in a planned shared tokenized-deposit network targeted for 2027.

Together, those projects point toward a stack in which institutions can hold bitcoin, settle tokenized assets and move bank deposits through connected infrastructure.

What remains unknown

The service is not yet live. Before relying on it, prospective clients should watch for supported markets, minimum balances, fee schedules, withdrawal policies, insurance arrangements, subcustodian use and the legal entity that will hold the assets.

Operational details matter because “bank-grade” does not remove every crypto risk. Key-management failures, cyberattacks, internal-control breakdowns, legal claims and service interruptions remain possible. Clients should also distinguish protections that apply to bank deposits from those that apply to crypto assets; bitcoin held in custody should not be assumed to carry deposit insurance.

Citi’s announcement is a meaningful step in the institutionalization of bitcoin, but it is not a new BTC interest account. Custody+ may make holding bitcoin easier for eligible institutions. Any future yield offering would need to be evaluated separately based on its source of return, liquidity terms and counterparty risk.

Sources: Citi Custody+ announcement distributed by Business Wire; Citi digital-assets overview.