Ten European financial institutions announced on July 29 the launch of RL1 (Regulated Layer One), a jointly owned blockchain consortium designed to serve regulated financial markets and tokenized assets. RL1 was formally established in Luxembourg as a European cooperative and has begun operations. Each member has equal decision-making power over network governance and development. Founding members include: ABN AMRO, Cecabank, and others.
RL1’s 10 Founding Members and Governance Structure
RL1’s 10 founding members are as follows:
· ABN AMRO (Netherlands)
· Cecabank (Spain)
· Chartered Investment
· Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale (France)
· DekaBank (Germany)
· DZ BANK (Germany)
· LBBW (Germany)
· Natixis CIB (France)
· SC Ventures
· Seturion
RL1 operates in Luxembourg as an independent European cooperative, and each member has equal decision-making power over governance and the network’s development. Germany’s Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) and L-Bank will continue to support the initiative, and NatWest is in talks to join.
SWIAT’s Technology Base Migration: 50+ Deals in Three Years
RL1 is built on the blockchain infrastructure developed by SWIAT. SWIAT has officially transferred ownership of the network to the cooperative. SWIAT said that during three years of production use, the platform processed more than 50 transactions with a total value exceeding €700 million (about $808 million). Although governance rights have been transferred, SWIAT will continue as RL1’s core technology provider, delivering blockchain solutions for token issuance, custody, collateral management, and other digital capital market applications.
RL1’s Use Cases and Expansion Plan
RL1 aims to establish a neutral European blockchain infrastructure. Key use cases include digital currency, tokenized bonds, collateral management, and blockchain-based settlement. The core value of a shared network lies in reducing fragmentation caused by financial institutions operating their own independent distributed ledger systems.
RL1’s goal is to build an integrated, liquidity-rich, and scalable European capital markets ecosystem to replace the existing isolated tokenization initiatives.
FAQ
What type of organization is RL1, and where is it set up?
RL1 (Regulated Layer One) is a cooperative blockchain organization jointly owned by 10 European financial institutions. In July 2026, it was officially established in Luxembourg in the form of a European cooperative and began operations; each founding member has equal decision-making power over governance and development of the network.
Who provides RL1’s underlying technology base, and what was the scale of previous transactions?
RL1 is built on infrastructure developed by the German fintech company SWIAT. SWIAT has transferred ownership of the network to the cooperative and will continue as the core technology provider. SWIAT said that during three years of production use, the platform processed more than 50 transactions with a total value exceeding €700 million (about $808 million).
Besides the founding members, which institutions are considering joining RL1?
According to RL1’s announcement, NatWest is currently discussing joining the network with RL1; Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) and L-Bank said they will continue to support the initiative’s development.
