Citi Taps Coinbase to Bring Stablecoin Payments to Large Institutional Clients

Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) is partnering with Coinbase Global Inc. (NASDAQ:COIN) to enable stablecoin payments for large institutional clients, pushing deeper into digital assets even after the CLARITY Act failed to advance in the Senate. The partnership will connect Citi’s merchant-processing and banking infrastructure with Coinbase’s blockchain payment rails. It will allow businesses to accept stablecoins from customers and convert them into traditional currencies. How Citi Expands Blockchain Push? Under the partnership, Citi’s institutional clients, including multinational corporations, will be able to accept stablecoin payments from customers at checkout through the bank’s merchant-processing services. The arrangement will also allow Coinbase payments customers to use Citi’s banking capabilities while automatically converting incoming cash into stablecoins. Those tokens will be held at Coinbase and can currently earn an annual reward of 3.75%. "This is really part and parcel of completing that jigsaw puzzle," Citi Head of Services Shahmir Khaliq told The Wall Street Journal Monday. Coinbase Institutional head Brett Tejpaul said the partnership could help consumers and businesses move between dollars and stablecoins without leaving the traditional banking system. The Clarity Act setback has not hampered Citi’s digital asset strategy as Khaliq states, "We’re continuing to do what we do within the banking license we have, within the regulations we currently have." Citi also announced the expansion of its blockchain-based Token Services to Japan and the U.A.E, bringing the platform to seven jurisdictions, including the U.S. Coinbase Bolsters Capital As AI Role Grows Earlier this month, Coinbase opened IPO allocations to eligible U.S. retail investors, allowing customers to request shares at the offering price through its app before public trading begins. It also expanded into stock trading and sought regulatory approval to offer equity perpetual futures. CEO Brian Armstrong has meanwhile been highlighting the potential role of AI agents in reshaping corporate software and financial infrastructure. He argued that AI agents could autonomously discover and compare services based on factors such as cost, reliability and performance, potentially allowing businesses to operate more efficiently. Image: Shutterstock Read Also: Why Bitcoin Hit $86,000 Despite Fed Rate Hikes – VanEck's Sigel, Former CFTC Chair Weigh In