Citi, Coinbase enable 24/7 stablecoin payments for 150M+

Citi and Coinbase announced a partnership to route Citi institutional client transfers into Coinbase’s on- and off-ramp infrastructure, allowing fiat and stablecoin conversions at any hour. The initial phase will focus on institutional clients, with plans to extend the capability to more global customers. Both firms plan to provide further technical and commercial details in the coming months.

Under the arrangement, Citi will direct client transfers through Coinbase’s conversion and custody systems so institutions can convert fiat currency to crypto and back without relying on standard banking hours. The companies are finalizing how the stablecoin leg will operate, including mechanisms for a sender to transmit regular fiat and a recipient to receive stablecoins.

Citi already operates 24/7 dollar transfers and runs a token service for large corporate and institutional users. Coinbase supplies conversion and custody infrastructure for digital assets and the on- and off-ramps that will handle the fiat-crypto flows.

Citi’s client base includes major e-commerce firms and corporate treasuries that move significant payment volumes through the bank’s rails. Linking those flows to tokenized dollar equivalents provides institutions a direct path into crypto market liquidity and decentralized finance services.

Market data show more than $306 billion in stablecoins outstanding. BlackRock reported stablecoins handled $11.2 trillion in transaction volume in 2025, and roughly $8.5 trillion in the first half of 2026. Those figures include trading and decentralized finance activity and are not directly comparable with card network volumes.

Operational specifics such as pricing, custody arrangements and compliance controls have not been disclosed. The initial setup is expected to emphasize institutional risk controls and regulatory compliance while testing live rails for around-the-clock settlement. Stablecoins are digital tokens designed to maintain a fixed value relative to a fiat currency and are used for trading, payments and decentralized finance.