Solana launches Swiss Solana Research Institute to target European institutions

Solana has launched the Solana Research Institute (SRI), a Switzerland-based, member-led research forum designed to help financial institutions assess public blockchain infrastructure and its fit for institutional use. The institute published "A Financial Institution's Guide to Solana" on April 30, 2026.

SRI is led by Angus Scott, a former Euroclear executive, and lists founding members and contributors including the Solana Foundation, Jito, R3 and Figment. The guide — roughly 64 pages — covers Solana’s technical architecture, network economics, governance, regulatory fit and a practical survey of products and infrastructure relevant to banks and asset managers.

The institute aims to support institutions navigating frameworks such as Europe’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation and the U.S. GENIUS Act by providing practitioner-oriented analysis of operational risk, custody, settlement, and compliance considerations. SRI has convened closed-door sessions with participants from traditional financial institutions to surface practical implementation challenges.

SRI’s report highlights on-chain developments — including stablecoin circulation and early tokenized real-world asset issuance — as drivers of demand for settlement and payments infrastructure. At the same time, the guide stresses remaining gaps in custody, reporting standards and venue connectivity that institutions view as prerequisites for production deployments.

Market participants and SRI contributors say the institute’s research-led, membership model is intended to move institutions from proof-of-concept to deployment by offering credible, practitioner-focused analysis and forums for technical and regulatory dialogue. The initiative positions Solana to engage directly with institutional requirements while acknowledging work remains to meet strict operational and compliance standards.