Today SWIAT announced that NTT Data is joining its permissioned blockchain network as a validator. SWIAT is an independent blockchain-based financial platform for banks and financial institutions. The decentralized financial market infrastructure (dFMI) was founded by DekaBank but is also backed by LBBW, Standard Chartered’s SC Ventures and software firm Comyno.
Last year four consulting and IT companies joined as validators, adesso, GFT, and think tank Business Solutions from Germany as well as France’s Sopra Steria.
In addition to operating a validator node, NTT Data will also run tenant nodes, enabling it to offer solutions to its clients.
Recently SWIAT hosted the issuance of a tokenized fund by Deka Investment, one of Germany’s largest fund providers. It has also been used to issue digital bearer bonds and registered bonds issued by several German savings banks.
NTT Data’s international & Japanese footprint
Meanwhile, NTT Data adds another international dimension. Apart from its roots in Japan, it was also the technology partner to Spunta, the Italian interbank blockchain network that initially focused on daily reconciliations.
In Japan NTT Data has a far larger footprint and is extremely active in blockchain. It founded TradeWaltz, Japan’s blockchain trade network with 15 corporate backers, including MUFG and Mitsubishi Corp.
The Japanese consultant is also a minority shareholder in Progmat, one of the two major Japanese institutional tokenization platforms. Outside of blockchain, NTT Data owns Japan Information Processing (JIP), which operates Japan’s largest bond issuance and payment agent solution. Hence, the collaboration with MUFG and Progmat is all the more important. Additionally, it’s involved in a major blockchain-based identity initiative in Japan.
SWIAT’s blockchain is an enterprise version of Ethereum technology.
