Customers Bank — Digital Asset Banking

CBIT is Customers Bank's real-time USD payment rail for institutional crypto clients, operating 24/7 including weekends and holidays. Approved CBIT participants — exchanges, OTC desks, and crypto funds — can transfer USD between each other instantly at any hour. This continuous settlement capability is critical for crypto businesses that operate around the clock and need USD liquidity management without being constrained by traditional banking hours.

Customers Bank's digital asset banking is focused on institutional crypto businesses: crypto exchanges, OTC trading desks, crypto funds, stablecoin issuers, and institutional digital asset companies. The bank does not serve retail crypto users or early-stage startups — it is specifically designed for businesses with meaningful institutional USD transaction volumes that require dedicated payment infrastructure.

Customers Bank's CBIT network is the most direct operational successor to Silvergate's SEN (Silvergate Exchange Network) — both provide 24/7 real-time USD rails for institutional crypto businesses. CBIT launched with many of the crypto businesses that had previously relied on SEN, and Customers Bank actively positioned itself as the primary alternative following Silvergate's wind-down in March 2023.

Customers Bank is a US-regulated institution (regulated by the Federal Reserve and OCC) and its CBIT network operates in USD — making it primarily relevant for US-based or USD-denominated institutional crypto operations. For European or Asian crypto businesses needing local currency banking, European alternatives like SEBA Bank or Bank Frick are more appropriate.

Customers Bank maintains institutional account standards including minimum balance requirements and relationship banking prerequisites — specific terms should be confirmed directly with the bank's digital asset team. The bank does not publish standardised account minimums publicly. Eligibility is assessed on a case-by-case basis, with the primary criteria being institutional operational scale and compliance profile.

Customers Bank is primarily oriented toward established institutional crypto businesses rather than early-stage startups. Companies without meaningful operational history, regulated status, or institutional transaction volumes are unlikely to meet CBIT eligibility requirements. Early-stage Web3 founders should explore Fintech-adjacent banking alternatives or European crypto-friendly banks like Bank Frick while building the operational track record required for institutional banking relationships.