In a groundbreaking move, Citigroup (Citi) has announced the launch of a new cryptocurrency platform specifically designed to tokenize and facilitate the trading of shares in late-stage private companies. This initiative aims primarily at institutional and other eligible investors, with a strategic partnership formed with SDX, the digital asset arm of the SIX Swiss Exchange. The platform will utilize a permissioned distributed ledger infrastructure to enhance security and compliance.
Citi will take on the roles of custodian and tokenization agent, issuing securities in the form of authorized tokenized depositary receipts. These receipts will be securely held through regulated financial institutions. Notably, Citi is currently in talks with several high-profile private companies that are expected to participate in this innovative undertaking.
Trump’s favorite bank Citigroup to launch tokenized securities of private companies. pic.twitter.com/vIYL8yIZjn
— Real World Asset Watchlist (@RWAwatchlist_) June 11, 2026
Trump’s favorite bank Citigroup to launch tokenized securities of private companies. The initial rollout of the platform is limited to foreign investors, with plans for U.S. market access in subsequent phases once regulatory hurdles are cleared. This initiative strategically targets the burgeoning $75 billion late-stage pre-IPO equity market, which has ballooned as renowned companies like SpaceX and Anthropic postpone their public offerings. This postponement has created a gap for institutional capital seeking alternative pathways to invest in these firms.
Citi Crypto Tokenization Platform: SDX and Corda Infrastructure
The platform will leverage R3’s Corda permissioned distributed ledger through SDX’s digital Central Securities Depository, a regulated venue that operates within the SIX Group’s infrastructure. Unlike public chains, this platform is built on a fully permissioned, institution-grade blockchain system designed to meet the stringent custody, compliance, and settlement requirements of regulated financial intermediaries.
Citi will issue the tokenized depositary receipts while acting as custodian for the underlying securities. The initial distribution will engage Sygnum Bank in Switzerland and SBI Digital Markets in Singapore, targeting qualified institutional investors across Europe and Asia.
Citi says it is already in talks with some of the world’s largest private companies to issue tokenized depositary receipts.
The rollout starts with foreign investors, with plans to make it available… pic.twitter.com/vyVEDYP2KB
— Coin Bureau (@coinbureau) June 11, 2026
JUST IN: $2.7T Citigroup is launching TOKENIZED shares of PRIVATE companies.Artem Korenyuk, Citi’s global lead for digital assets enterprise alignment and services enablement, provided insight into the envisioned investor experience, stating that private-company shares would be easily accessible “right next to their Apple stock.”
Currently, trading in late-stage private equity is marred by manual processes that can take weeks, along with fragmented capitalization-table records. However, trades on the SDX platform will execute nearly instantaneously, significantly streamlining the process.
RWA Tokenization Stakes: A $5.5 Trillion Market Is Being Built on Permissioned Rails
Citi’s own report titled Tokenization 2030 forecasts the base-case size of tokenized real-world assets to reach $5.5 trillion by 2030, skyrocketing from a mere $17 billion today. The report identifies private markets, real estate, and money-market funds as leading drivers of this growth.
The projected market size ranges from $2.7 trillion to $8.2 trillion, largely influenced by the pace of regulatory developments. Recent mixed signals of institutional demand make Citi’s resolution to invest in tokenization infrastructure even more significant.
The competitive landscape is heating up, as major players like JPMorgan, Bank of America, and Citi collaborate to create a tokenized deposit network through The Clearing House, aiming to launch by H1 2027. Additionally, the NYSE has plans for a tokenized securities platform by late 2026, while DTCC has begun running limited production trades as of July 2026, with full service set for October.
With Wall Street no longer piloting tokenization but actively building its production infrastructure, the Citi-SDX platform represents a significant advance for institutional-grade on-ramps to private equity within the rapidly evolving landscape of digital assets.
The strategic focus on pre-IPO opportunities sharpens the commercial rationale as institutional interest in alternative assets grows. As traditional corporate investments in crypto evolve, Citi is strategically positioning itself to meet demand from yield-seeking investors eager for exposure to private-market equities.
Discover: The Best Token Presales
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