Citi officially launched Custody+, a comprehensive suite of near- and real-time custody solutions designed for the always-on demands of modern capital markets. The announcement marks an important milestone as Citi completes the U.S. rollout of its patented Single Event Processing technology, which now processes over 80 percent of the bank’s total event volume in real time.
While Custody+ initially focuses on transforming traditional asset servicing, the platform’s most forward-looking component is digital asset custody.
Bitcoin custody set for a Q4 2026 debut
As part of the Custody+ ecosystem, Citi plans to go live with digital asset custody later this year, starting with Bitcoin. The service is being built on Citi’s own digital asset architecture, called the Citi Integrated Digital Assets Platform, which aims to make Bitcoin feel just like any other “bankable” asset you might own, like stocks or bonds.
Per the announcement, clients will not have to manage private keys or separate crypto wallets. Instead, they will interact with digital assets through familiar channels like the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, better known as SWIFT, and Application Programming Interfaces, also called APIs, with Citi handling all the backend complexity, including custody, reporting, and tax workflows.
A unified platform for the “always-on” market
Custody+ integrates several capabilities designed for institutional efficiency. Beyond real-time asset servicing, the platform offers instant settlements, on-demand Foreign Exchange, and real-time cash and liquidity management.
For the digital assets space, this means a true 24/7 custody experience. For instance, by folding Bitcoin into its existing infrastructure that already manages over $24 trillion in traditional assets, Citi is offering a one-stop custody experience: a strategic shift from a standalone crypto product to an integrated solution that simplifies operating models for asset managers, hedge funds, and other institutional clients.
How does Custody+ work
Since the platform’s core innovation lies in its SEP technology, it applies a “state-based” rather than “transaction-based” model. In contrast to more traditional systems that update records only after multiple checks, Custody+ provides “continuous event posting” that updates client positions in real-time.
Going further, this architecture eliminates end-of-day batch cycles; thus, clients get immediate visibility into their holdings, cash balances, and exposure.
For this sector in particular, this parity with traditional assets creates a unified, never-sleeping experience that regular competitors simply cannot match without a complete infrastructure overhaul.
