Citi Invests in Stablecoin Firm BVNK as Wall Street Expands Crypto Footprint

Citi Ventures has made a strategic investment in BVNK, a London-based stablecoin infrastructure provider, signaling Wall Street's accelerating adoption of blockchain-based payment solutions. The October 9 deal pushes BVNK's valuation above $750 million—a notable premium to previous funding rounds—though exact terms remain undisclosed.

BVNK's enterprise-focused platform processes $20 billion annually in stablecoin transactions for payment giants like Worldpay and Flywire. The firm bridges traditional finance and digital assets through its regulated payment rails across 130 countries. "This validates stablecoins as critical infrastructure for global commerce," said CEO Jesse Hemson-Struthers.

The investment coincides with clearer U.S. crypto regulations that are removing institutional adoption barriers. Visa reports nearly $9 trillion in stablecoin settlement volume over the past year—a figure that may grow as traditional banks like Citi deploy capital into compliant crypto-native firms.