Citi taps Coinbase to help big clients accept stablecoin payments

Citigroup and Coinbase have announced a strategic partnership designed to bring stablecoin-powered payment solutions to institutional clients. The collaboration pairs Citi’s sprawling global payments infrastructure with Coinbase’s digital asset expertise, targeting smoother fiat-to-crypto transactions for large-scale corporate users. The initial phase focuses on improving fiat pay-ins and pay-outs that support Coinbase’s on-ramp and off-ramp transactions. What the partnership actually covers At its core, this is a payment orchestration deal. Citi will leverage its network, which spans 94 markets and integrates with more than 300 clearing systems, to help Coinbase’s institutional clients convert between fiat currencies and digital assets more efficiently. The two firms also plan to explore alternative fiat-to-onchain stablecoin payout methods. That means finding ways to settle payments directly on blockchain rails rather than routing everything through legacy banking pipes. The partnership also includes plans to build 24/7 payment capabilities, with further details expected to be released in the coming months. For Citi, the partnership represents another step in a broader digital as...