R3 Appoints New Executives to Lead $17bn Tokenised Asset Push on Solana

R3 has launched R3 Labs, a new division aimed at accelerating the adoption of tokenised real-world assets (RWAs) on public blockchains, with the company already holding $17 billion in tokenised RWAs across its platforms.
 

The enterprise blockchain firm has appointed Richard G. Brown as CEO of R3 Labs and Digby Try as Global Head of Sales to lead the initiative, which focuses on bringing regulated financial institutions onto the Solana blockchain network.

R3 Labs will leverage the company's existing $17 billion in tokenised RWAs - described as the world's largest collection of such assets - to provide institutions with access to broader distribution, deeper liquidity, and new revenue opportunities on public blockchain networks.
 

The division aims to eliminate friction in issuing RWAs on public blockchains by combining R3's decade of experience in compliant blockchain solutions with Solana's network capabilities, including sub-second finality and throughput more than 70 times greater than Ethereum's real-world capacity recorded in July 2025.
 

Brown, formerly R3's Chief Product and Technology Officer, led the development of Corda for over a decade and played a key role in shaping the R3 and Solana integration. Try brings more than 25 years of experience in digital assets, fintech, and capital markets, having previously served as CRO at Coincover and VP of Sales EMEA at Currencycloud, which was acquired by Visa for $1 billion.
 

The tokenised RWA market is projected to reach $30 trillion by 2034, according to the company.

"The launch of R3 Labs is a significant milestone in our mission to reduce friction around tokenisation and help bring the next trillion dollars of institutional assets onto public blockchains. With $17bn in RWAs already tokenised across our platforms, we're building a unique bridge between regulated financial institutions and public blockchain networks. I am delighted that Richard will lead this effort as CEO of R3 Labs – he's a visionary and pragmatic leader, and one of the most capable minds in the space to take R3 to the next level."

David E. Rutter, Founder and CEO of R3

 

Richard G. Brown, CEO of R3 Labs, said the initiative represents the next step in accelerating institutional transformation to blockchain technology.

"For over a decade, we've helped institutions navigate the complexities of going on-chain. R3 Labs is the next step in accelerating that transformation. Permissionless infrastructure delivers liquidity, composability, and unstoppable innovation – and we're making it easier for institutions to access it confidently and securely. Combining R3's proven expertise in regulatory and operational solutions with the openness and power of public networks, R3 Labs makes it radically simpler, safer, and faster to bring high-quality assets to public blockchains at scale. I'm delighted to welcome Digby to the team. His leadership and commercial expertise will be invaluable as we build the future of internet capital markets for existing and new clients."

Richard G. Brown, CEO of R3 Labs
 

Industry partners have expressed support for the initiative. Guido Stroemer, Co-Founder and CEO of HQLAX, highlighted the potential for improved collateral management across traditional and digital assets.
 

"Managing collateral across jurisdictions and time zones has long been a source of friction. R3's technology has helped HQLAX redefine collateral mobility for traditional assets – reducing risk and unlocking trapped capital for our global bank clients. With the launch of R3 Labs, the convergence of permissioned and public networks promises to take collateral mobility to its natural next step to enable 24/7, on-demand collateral management for both traditional assets and digital assets across TradFi and DeFi players. The shift to on-chain finance is real, and we're proud to support R3 in this next chapter of innovation."

Guido Stroemer, Co-Founder and CEO, HQLAX
 

Marco Kessler, Head of Product and Business Development Digital Assets at SIX Securities Services, emphasised the importance of maintaining regulatory and operational standards in blockchain adoption.
 

"Institutional adoption of public blockchain is accelerating as the industry recognises its potential to unlock new efficiencies, liquidity, and market access. What's critical is doing this in a way that aligns with the regulatory and operational standards institutions demand. R3 has a proven track record of delivering trusted infrastructure and solutions for capital markets, and R3 Labs is an important next step. We fully support their ambition to bridge traditional and decentralised finance and help shape the future of on-chain capital markets. R3 is uniquely positioned to deliver this at true institutional scale."

Marco Kessler, Head of Product and Business Development Digital Assets, SIX Securities Services