Web3 technologies are set to become the key drivers of global financial market infrastructure renewal over the next two years, reshaping approaches to settlements, asset custody, and data management.
Analysts at Citigroup, one of the world’s largest financial conglomerates, released the Securities Services Evolution 2025 report. It states that tokenization and Web3 solutions could radically cut settlement costs and increase transaction speeds by several times, while digital assets are steadily attracting the attention of major institutional players.
The Citi study involved 537 financial organizations, including custodians, broker-dealers, and asset managers.
Citi forecasts that the tokenized securities market will exceed $5 trillion by 2030, accounting for around 10% of global market turnover. By the end of 2025, analysts already expect significant growth in the share of tokenized bonds and funds in institutional portfolios.
Furthermore, the biggest custodians will integrate custody and settlement services for digital currencies alongside traditional assets. The Citi report highlights that cryptocurrencies are shifting from a niche market segment to becoming part of the unified financial infrastructure.
Distributed ledgers and smart contracts are becoming the foundation for new models of market interaction. According to the report, the use of Web3 solutions could automate many corporate business processes and reduce operating costs by up to 70%.
The development of digital assets will depend heavily on the regulatory framework. Transparent crypto market legislation is seen as a prerequisite for mass institutional adoption.
The report also addresses cybersecurity, ESG initiatives , and the modernization of settlement systems, but places its main focus on Web3 technologies as fundamental drivers of financial market transformation. According to Citi analysts, decentralized solutions will enable the creation of a unified digital ecosystem for securities, currencies, and derivatives.
