Solana has established a new Switzerland-based research institute, Solana Research Institute (SRI), to assist financial sector institutions in navigating rapidly changing cryptocurrency regulations. This initiative comes at a time when competition is intensifying between public blockchains and permissioned networks, with the goal of helping finance companies make regulatory-compliant decisions.
A new step in institutional crypto adoption
SRI has launched under the leadership of Angus Scott, a former senior executive at Euroclear. Announced in February, its debut included the release of an approximately 60-page comprehensive report on the Solana network aimed at finance professionals. The study saw contributions from leading industry names such as Solana Foundation, Jito, R3, and Figment.
The institute is set to guide companies through frameworks such as Europe’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) and the United States’ forthcoming National Stablecoin Innovation Act (GENIUS). By providing regulatory insights, SRI aims to make institutional participation in digital assets as safe and transparent as possible.
Solana’s move is part of a broader strategy to expand its presence in the institutional market, especially following the planned opening of the Solana Policy Institute in Washington in 2025. The initiative seeks to help regulated financial institutions feel more confident in adopting public blockchain technology.
Rising institutional interest backed by data
Ben Brophy, Solana Foundation’s Head of Institutional Growth for Europe, explained that SRI is designed to create informed discussion environments to help institutions move from trial phases to actual implementation. In his statement:
This institute will accelerate the transition from trials to real-world use for institutions by providing tailored analysis and informed debate.
The network has seen remarkable growth recently; in February alone, stablecoin transfers on Solana reached $650 billion, and by March, real-world asset token transfers exceeded $2 billion. These figures underline the rapid acceleration of stablecoin activity and asset tokenization on Solana.
Ethereum’s lead and ongoing challenges
Despite Solana’s progress, Ethereum remains the dominant platform in the decentralized finance ecosystem, boasting the highest liquidity. According to the latest DefiLlama data, total stablecoins on Ethereum now top $165 billion, with total value locked at around $44 billion. In comparison, Solana’s total is approximately $5 billion.
SRI’s research also highlights a noticeable increase in interest from traditional financial institutions in the blockchain sector over the last 12 months. Private meetings in London have reportedly included representatives from major industry players such as State Street and Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation.
Nick Almond, governance lead at Jito Foundation, noted that institutions are now focusing on more advanced requirements and operational risks. He emphasized that regulatory clarity in the US and Europe has enabled the sector to take more concrete steps forward.
Recently, there has been a shift from simply asking ‘Is this system viable?’ to collecting detailed requirements about transaction quality, market structure, and operational risk. With the maturation of sector infrastructure, institutional interest is expected to grow even further.
Nevertheless, some challenges remain. The industry is still maturing in areas such as custody, reporting, and market infrastructure, which are seen as hurdles to broader institutional adoption.
