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Thought Leadership|2026-07-30

Banks Should Validate Public Blockchains: The Case for Regulated Institutions at the Base Layer

In our latest paper, Banks Should Validate Public Blockchains, we explain that the decision to keep banks away from public blockchains has not had the desired effect of protecting the banking system. Instead, it has left the fastest-growing part of finance to develop without regulated providers, and kept banks out of infrastructure that is becoming central to how value moves.

The paper explores why banks need to operate on public chains, and why their participation needs to be at the base layer as validators. The title of this paper is more than a statement; it's a call to action from the blockchain ecosystem. Networks are standing by and ready to work with pathfinder banks and institutions that want to validate public chains, and ready to support them in establishing the legal and regulatory clarity that will allow them to do so.

Banks Should Validate Public Blockchains is co-authored by Tony McLaughlin, Founder and CEO of Ubyx, and Brett Hornung, Chief Commercial Officer at stakeFi. It draws on contributions from senior figures across the ecosystem.

Banks Should Validate Public Blockchains white paper cover Download the full white paper (PDF)

We would like to thank the following contributors to the paper:

Key Contributors

AleoYaya J. FanusieGlobal Head of Policy
AlgorandStaci WardenCEO
AptosSolomon TesfayeChief Business Officer
AvalancheMorgan KrupetskyVP of OnChain Finance
Digital AssetViv DiwakarHead of the Canton Foundation
ConcordiumBoris Bohrer-BilowitzkiCEO
ConsensysJoe LubinCo-Founder, Ethereum; Founder, Consensys
CosmosMaghnus MareneckCo-Founder & Co-CEO
HederaIsadora ArredondoVice President, Global Policy
LayerZeroSimon BaksysChief Business Officer
Polygon LabsMarc BoironCEO
Solana FoundationNick DucoffHead of Institutional Growth
SphereGbenga OmosuyiHead of Global Business Development
StellarJustin RiceVP of Ecosystem
SuiJameel KhalfanHead of Ecosystem Development
TempoSimon TaylorHead of Market Development
XDCShanlong ChenHead of Strategic Investments