花旗拟年内向日本企业推出基于区块链代币化存款的即时跨境汇款，为外资行首例

TOKYO -- Citigroup will offer overseas remittance services for Japanese companies that use blockchain-based tokenized deposits as early as this year, enabling instant foreign-currency transfers even at night and on holidays.
The proposed service would be the first of its kind for Japanese corporate customers offered by a foreign financial institution, Shahmir Khaliq, the financial giant's head of services, told Nikkei.
Tokenized deposits, alongside stablecoins, are regarded as a core technology for next-generation payments. They use existing banking infrastructure and convert deposits into digital representations that can be transferred on blockchain.
Japanese companies will be able to move foreign currencies instantly between Japan and Citi operations in the U.S., U.K., Singapore, Hong Kong and Ireland. Little preparation is required, and Citi handles all administrative and risk-management functions.
Citi moves about $6 trillion in funds each day, with the total for tokenized deposits transfers alone reaching roughly $1 billion. The entry of a major global bank could accelerate adoption of tokenized deposits in Japan.
Traditional cross-border transfers are constrained by bank business hours and settlement calendars. If the recipient country is on holiday, funds may not arrive until the next business day. Companies often need to send money abroad before it is actually needed, tying up capital and increasing funding costs.
Tokenized deposits eliminate the need for such advance transfers, allowing companies to delay payments until closer to their due dates.
Citi considers Japan one of its five most important markets globally. Khaliq said expansion into Japan and other markets would allow it to comprehensively cover key hubs across the Asia-Pacific region.
In the future, Citi aims to enable tokenized deposit transfers between its network and other banks. It is working with SWIFT and U.S. payments network operator The Clearing House to build the necessary foundation.