Citigroup CEO says she supports tokenized deposits and emphasizes that the market is overly focused on stablecoins

According to ChainCatcher, citing a report from CoinDesk, Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser has made it clear that tokenized deposits, rather than stablecoins, will be the main driving force behind the next generation of payment and financial market infrastructure. On the Q3 earnings investor call, she stated that institutional clients are seeking low-cost, compliant, and seamless real-time cross-border fund flows, and that tokenized deposits are the best way to achieve secure, reliable, multi-bank interoperable, and always-on payment solutions.

Citigroup has made significant investments in digital asset infrastructure, and its tokenization services can connect over 250 banks across more than 40 markets, enabling instant transfers. However, Fraser pointed out that a major barrier to adoption is that corporate finance departments find it difficult to adapt to a 24/7 financial environment. Citigroup will continue to support stablecoins, but stablecoins face compliance burdens such as anti-money laundering and tax reporting, which tokenized deposits can avoid. She also cautioned against overhyping stablecoins, stating that most issues can be solved through tokenized deposits. She noted that in the future, tokenization applications will go far beyond payments, with the issuance and settlement of various assets all becoming tokenized, and that regulation is driving responsible innovation, which Citigroup will incorporate into its toolkit.