Citi and Morgan Stanley Expand Bitcoin and Crypto Custody, Trading and Tokenization Efforts

Citigroup

• Plans to launch institutional bitcoin custody later in 2026, integrating digital assets into existing custody, reporting, and tax frameworks used for traditional assets.
• Announced by Nisha Surendran, who heads Citi's digital-asset custody product development, at the World Strategy Forum 2026 (February 27).
• Framed as making bitcoin "bankable" — institutional-grade key management and wallet infrastructure.
• Clients will manage bitcoin alongside securities and cash in a single safekeeping account; transaction instructions via SWIFT, APIs, or UI; the bank aims to enable cross-margining between digital and traditional assets.
• Surendran: surveyed clients "don't want to handle wallets and keys" and prefer exposure through familiar banking systems.
• Citi Token Services (for cash) already operates as a blockchain-based network for round-the-clock money movement within Citi's global system.

Morgan Stanley

• Oversees approximately $8 trillion in assets.
• Amy Golenberg, recently appointed head of digital assets, at the same event: "We need to build this internally. We can't just rent the technology."
• Filed for bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana exchange-traded products; launched spot crypto trading on E*TRADE; exploring wallet technology and lending opportunities.

Limitations

News piece, single event (analyst-forum announcements) — forward-looking statements ("later in 2026," "we need to build this") are corporate intent, not confirmed product launches; no OCC filing date or charter status is stated in this article (contrast with the KB's existing separate claim of a Feb 18, 2026 Morgan Stanley OCC charter filing, which is not corroborated by this specific source).

Source: Citi and Morgan Stanley Expand Bitcoin and Crypto Custody, Trading and Tokenization Efforts by CoinDesk staff