A group of ten major European financial institutions has launched Regulated Layer One (RL1), a blockchain cooperative built around an equal-governance model and designed specifically to support tokenized assets, digital money, and capital markets infrastructure, according to a post highlighting the launch from crypto exchange KuCoin.
The initiative brings together some of Europe's largest banking and financial players under a shared, jointly governed blockchain network rather than a platform controlled by a single company, reflecting a model increasingly favored by regulated institutions wary of ceding infrastructure control to any one participant.
A Cooperative Model for Institutional Blockchain
RL1's equal-governance structure is intended to give each participating institution a comparable voice in how the network operates, a design choice aimed at building the kind of trust regulated entities typically require before committing to shared infrastructure. The network's stated focus areas, tokenized assets, digital money, and capital markets, place it squarely in the growing institutional push to bring traditional financial instruments on-chain.
Part of a Broader Institutional Tokenization Wave
The launch adds to a string of recent moves by traditional finance players into blockchain-based infrastructure, as banks and asset managers increasingly explore tokenization as a way to modernize settlement, custody, and capital markets operations. A consortium-style approach like RL1's, with multiple major institutions co-governing the network, signals a preference among European players for shared control over proprietary platforms as the sector matures.
