12 More Banks Join Blockchain Consortium R3
Twelve more banks have joined the distributed ledger consortium led by startup R3CEV.

UPDATE (17th December 14:25 BST): This article has been updated with additional information.
Twelve additional banks have joined the blockchain consortium led by startup R3CEV.
New entrants to the group include Banco Santander, Danske Bank, Intesa Sanpaolo, Natixis, Nomura, Northern Trust, OP Financial Group, Scotiabank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, US Bancorp, Westpac Banking Corporation and BMO Financial Group.
The consortium, announced in September, is focused on proof-of-concept experimentation and the development of standards for blockchain tech. Its creation followed a series of workshops and meetings conducted with banks, some of which later signed on to the group.
The consortium’s membership has grown since the first nine members were announced in the fall. In the past few months, 33 more banks have joined the initiative. With the new entrants, the total number of banks involved with the consortium rises to 42.
R3 indicated that its "initial window" for membership into the consortium has closed, but said that in 2016 it will seek to work with non-bank financial institutions and groups.
The firm struck a positive tone, pointing to broadening support for the technology among the world's banks, some of which are conducting their own investigations in tandem with the consortium's work.
R3 CEO David Rutter said that the possible applications of these its solutions will "cut across asset classes, geographies and market participants".
He added in a statement:
"Ultimately, these technologies will benefit not just financial services firms, but their clients and end-users as well. We're very excited to be at the forefront of this global evolution."
When reached for comment, Banco Santander said that the organization presents an opportunity "to work together in a collaborative way in order to build new financial technology platforms based on crypto currencies and distributed ledger techniques".
"Santander is keen to contribute to this collaborative effort to shape the new rails upon which the financial industry will operate in the future," it said.
Building blocks image via Shutterstock
More For You
Protocol Research: GoPlus Security

What to know:
- As of October 2025, GoPlus has generated $4.7M in total revenue across its product lines. The GoPlus App is the primary revenue driver, contributing $2.5M (approx. 53%), followed by the SafeToken Protocol at $1.7M.
- GoPlus Intelligence's Token Security API averaged 717 million monthly calls year-to-date in 2025 , with a peak of nearly 1 billion calls in February 2025. Total blockchain-level requests, including transaction simulations, averaged an additional 350 million per month.
- Since its January 2025 launch , the $GPS token has registered over $5B in total spot volume and $10B in derivatives volume in 2025. Monthly spot volume peaked in March 2025 at over $1.1B , while derivatives volume peaked the same month at over $4B.
More For You
Bitcoin’s Deep Correction Sets Stage for December Rebound, Says K33 Research

K33 Research says market fear is outweighing fundamentals as bitcoin nears key levels. December could offer an entry point for bold investors.
What to know:
- K33 Research says bitcoin’s steep correction shows signs of bottoming, with December potentially marking a turning point.
- The firm has argued that the market is overreacting to long-term risks while ignoring near-term signals of strength, like low leverage and solid support levels.
- With likely policy shifts ahead and cautious positioning in futures, K33 sees more upside potential than risk of another major collapse.









