The Wall Street elephant jumps into the crypto world pool, and Citibank is here to play with stablecoins!

Citigroup recently announced that it will launch stablecoin and crypto ETF custody and payment services. This is akin to an old Wall Street bank in a suit, carrying a briefcase, suddenly putting on sunglasses and running into the crypto world to dance.
Why is Citibank doing this? It's simple -- the money is too tempting. The trading volume of stablecoins has approached the scale of traditional payment networks, and global cross-border settlements are increasingly relying on crypto assets. If Citibank continues to act like a "serious bank," it will only be able to watch a group of startups and crypto platforms count their money. Now, they are making a bold move -- directly entering the stablecoin payment sector and also engaging in crypto ETF custody, which is the classic play of wanting both "fish and bear's paw."
The underlying principle of custody services is the financial version of the "safe deposit box thinking": you can play with coins, you can trade ETFs, but the money must be kept in my Citibank vault. This way, not only can they earn transaction fees, but they can also quietly use your funds for financial operations. Don't forget, the core skill of banks is to transform custody into a profit machine.
Stablecoin payments are even better. Citibank's clients are spread around the world, and once stablecoins directly enter their cross-border settlement system, it means bypassing part of the traditional clearing network, saving money and time, while also earning more from foreign exchange conversion differences. As for compliance? Don't worry, Citibank will wear a "I am more compliant than you" coat, making regulators feel: hey, this is much more reliable than those crypto startups.
The only issue is that crypto world players may not want Wall Street to take over completely. After all, the dream of decentralization doesn’t say, "In the end, let Citibank help you manage your wallet private keys." However, from a user experience perspective, Citibank's entry could indeed make crypto payments smoother.
So, the essence of this operation is that Citi doesn't want to miss the great voyage of crypto and decides to bring in its own cruise ship with a bar, charging only stablecoins for tickets. #主流币山寨币上涨 #加密总市值创历史新高