Ten European giants have united in the blockchain cooperative RL1 for asset tokenization.
Major European financial institutions have announced the launch of a next-generation cooperative blockchain network — Regulated Layer One (RL1). This is a closed, permissioned blockchain designed exclusively for professional market participants. Its primary purpose is the issuance of tokenized bonds, management of digital money, and execution of interbank settlements.
The cooperative includes such giants as ABN AMRO, Cecabank, Chartered Investment, Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale, DekaBank, DZ BANK, LBBW, Natixis CIB, SC Ventures, and Seturion. All of them will act as network validators, ensuring a high level of trust and security.
The technical foundation of RL1 is the SWIAT infrastructure. This platform has already proven itself in the market: to date, it has processed over 50 transactions totaling €700 million. SWIAT ensures compatibility with traditional banking systems, which is critically important for institutional adoption.
From my perspective, the launch of RL1 is not just another pilot project, but a mature step towards creating a unified regulated infrastructure for tokenized finance. The participation of ten systemically important banks from different EU countries indicates that blockchain is ceasing to be an experimental technology and is becoming part of the real financial architecture. However, interoperability will remain a key challenge: will RL1 be able to effectively interact with other blockchains and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs)?