Citi Plunge dans BVNK : Les Banques US Accélèrent leur Pari Crypto via les Stablecoins

Wall Street serre les rangs derrière l'infrastructure crypto—les stablecoins deviennent le nouveau cheval de Troie.

Le Mouvement Bancaire

Citi rejoint la danse. Pas de position spéculative frontale, mais un investissement stratégique dans BVNK—une plateforme qui construit les rails pour les stablecoins. Les grands noms de la finance traditionnelle préfèrent encore jouer la carte de l'infrastructure plutôt que de s'exposer directement au bitcoin.

Stratégie ou Prudence ?

Les banques américaines multiplient les prises de participation discrètes dans les sociétés d'infrastructure blockchain. Moins risqué que de détenir des cryptos en bilan, plus facile à justifier devant les régulateurs. Le jeu consiste à être présent sans avoir l'air de y croire—la vieille recette de la finance qui veut surfer sur la disruption sans se mouiller.

Les stablecoins, ce pont déguisé entre deux mondes qui se regardent en chiens de faïence. Les banques y voient un moyen d'embarquer dans la crypto sans avoir à avouer qu'elles embarquent dans la crypto. Comme d'habitude, l'innovation financière avance masquée.

BVNK secures Citi Ventures backing, valuation tops $750M

Citi Ventures, the venture capital arm of Citigroup, has made a strategic investment in stablecoin infrastructure company BVNK. The amount of Citi’s investment was not disclosed, but BVNK co-founder Chris Harmse confirmed in an interview with CNBC that the company’s valuation now exceeds the $750 million mark from its previous funding round.

BVNK’s platform acts as a payments rail for stablecoin transactions, allowing clients to MOVE seamlessly between fiat and digital currencies. The firm’s technology can be used by companies to pay suppliers, contractors, or merchants across borders, with growing interest from digital-only and neobanks seeking to integrate stablecoins into core financial services such as checking accounts.

According to Harmse, the company’s services are gaining traction in the U.S., its fastest-growing market over the past 12 to 18 months, amid what the industry views as a more favorable regulatory environment following the GENIUS Act, a new framework providing clarity for stablecoin operations.

“U.S. banks at the scale of Citi, because of the GENIUS Act, are putting their weight behind … investing in leading businesses in the space to make sure they are at forefront of this technological shift in payments,” Harmse said. 

Citi’s investment comes despite BVNK having “dipped in and out of profitability” in recent years. However, Harmse said the company expects to be profitable next year.

The firm is also backed by Coinbase and Tiger Global, positioning it among a competitive field that includes Alchemy Pay, TripleA, and Ripple, all vying for dominance in blockchain-based global payments.

While BVNK did not elaborate on specific plans with Citi, Harmse described the collaboration as “too early to announce,” adding that the Wall Street bank has been expanding its cross-border payments capabilities. Citi’s move follows CEO Jane Fraser’s June comments that the bank is exploring the issuance of its own stablecoin and considering crypto asset custody services.