Citibank Confirms Launch of Bitcoin Services, Will Institutional Adoption of Crypto Accelerate?

▲ Citibank, Bitcoin (BTC) / AI-generated image

Global financial giant Citibank has officially announced its entry into Bitcoin (BTC) services in 2026, signaling a historic turning point toward the institutional integration of the virtual asset market.

According to cryptocurrency media outlet CoinGape on February 26 (local time), Citibank, which manages assets totaling $2.5 trillion, plans to launch full-scale Bitcoin custody and key management services for institutional investors starting in 2026. The decision is regarded as one of the most progressive moves among major Wall Street banks and is expected to serve as a groundbreaking catalyst for improving liquidity supply and trust in the virtual asset market. Citibank has been preparing to roll out its crypto custody services since late 2025 and has recently entered the concrete implementation phase.

Citibank’s move is seen as a strategic choice to meet rapidly increasing demand from institutional investors. As Bitcoin has established itself as a global asset traded 24/7, the need for financial infrastructure capable of securely managing it while ensuring tax and regulatory compliance has grown. Citibank plans to build dedicated infrastructure that integrates traditional financial systems with Bitcoin to eliminate technical barriers faced by institutional clients, including reporting and tax processing.

Favorable regulatory developments in the United States have also supported Citibank’s decision. As virtual asset–related legislation such as the U.S. cryptocurrency market structure bill (CLARITY) advances, legal grounds have been established for commercial banks to directly hold Bitcoin on behalf of clients and offer related products. Riding this policy momentum, Citibank has moved to secure an early foothold in the market, while approximately 60% of major U.S. banks are reportedly accelerating the development of Bitcoin-related products.

Market analysts anticipate that Citibank’s entry will also have a positive impact on Bitcoin’s price formation. A report by financial services firm River noted that despite the recent price correction, institutional and sovereign-level adoption of Bitcoin is accelerating. In 2025 alone, institutional investors accumulated a total of 829,000 BTC, while the number of companies adopting Bitcoin increased 2.5 times year-over-year, strengthening the market’s fundamentals.

With the launch of its services in 2026, Citibank is poised to lead a seismic shift in the virtual asset market. As a symbolic pillar of traditional finance embraces Bitcoin, market uncertainty is expected to diminish while investment opportunities expand further. Market participants are closely watching for detailed service specifications and regulatory approval procedures from Citibank as they prepare for a full-fledged institutional rally ahead.

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