Citi Prepares Blockchain Platform for Tokenized Private Company Shares

Citigroup is launching a blockchain-based platform that will allow wealthy and institutional clients to buy and trade tokenized interests in private companies. The platform, which uses infrastructure from SIX, has already completed its first investment transaction involving digital asset company Kaleido.

The move comes as Wall Street focuses on expected public listings from major private technology firms, including SpaceX, Anthropic, and OpenAI. Citigroup's platform is designed to give eligible clients exposure to private-company shares through tokenized instruments, which can provide more transparency than special-purpose investment vehicles.

Tokenized shares can represent economic exposure to private-company interests while using blockchain infrastructure to record ownership, transfers, and settlement activity. The offering reflects a growing effort by major banks to bring private-market assets into digital form.