Citi and SDX to Launch Global Platform for Tokenized Private Shares
Citi announced on May 6 at the Point Zero Forum in Zurich that it will collaborate with SDX to build a first-of-its-kind platform aimed at transforming access to private market investments through tokenization. SDX Group AG provides regulated digital asset market infrastructure via SDX Trading AG and SIX Digital Exchange AG. Through SDX Web3 AG, it delivers institutional crypto custody and staking services. As part of SIX Group, it complies with stringent Swiss legal and security frameworks.
The initiative, expected to launch in the third quarter of 2025, will position Citi as both a custodian and tokenization agent on SDX’s blockchain-powered infrastructure. The bank confirmed:
Citi will be tokenizing, settling and safekeeping assets on SDX’s digital Central Securities Depositary (CSD) platform and will bring late-stage pre-IPO equities to institutional and eligible investors on the SDX platform.
This offering will target institutional clients and qualified investors, aiming to simplify the complex and paper-heavy processes that currently dominate private markets.
The joint project merges Citi’s capabilities in global securities services with SDX’s regulated digital infrastructure to provide a more streamlined, compliant approach for issuers and investors alike. SDX Head David Newns expressed enthusiasm for the partnership: “We are excited to welcome Citi to the SDX platform and together deliver this landmark project in the tokenization of private shares.” The solution will enable investors to access equity in high-growth private companies more efficiently, while offering issuers improved control over capitalization tables and simplified liquidity events for early stakeholders.
Citi is emphasizing the end-to-end nature of its role on the platform. Ryan Marsh, Head of Innovation & Strategic Partnerships for Investor Services and Issuer Services at Citi, explained:
As a digital custodian and tokenization agent on the SDX platform, Citi will support its global investor and issuer clients with end-to-end servicing of tokenized assets.
“As tokenization scales, we are meeting client demand for access to emerging and relevant digital asset ecosystems and investments,” he noted. The initiative is also bolstered by collaborations with Sygnum and SBI Digital Markets, which will extend the platform’s reach to clients across Europe and Asia, further advancing the Swiss digital asset ecosystem’s global connectivity.
