Russian institutions flock to join R3 consortium

Payment processor QIWI becomes the first Russian company to join the consortium’s global network.

R3, the global blockchain consortium behind the development and application of distributed ledger technology in financial markets, has expanded its membership with the addition of its first Russian member.

QiWi’s online payment system is one of the most widely used payment systems in Russia. It is used to make online purchases and pay for loans, mobile bills, and even home utilities, and offers terminals where users can make payments as they would on their mobile device.

QIWI is a payment services provider and the first Russian institution to collaborate with R3. It has long recognized the benefits of blockchain technology; earlier in July, the firm expressed interest in joining the blockchain consortium created by the Central Bank of Russia.

“Our goal with R3 is to explore this emerging technology space as we shape the future of payments and transactions throughout collaborative research with other members of the consortium,” says Sergey Solonin, QIWI’s chief executive officer. “We believe that blockchain projects that we are currently working on can be applied on one of the R3 platforms and have great potential to be favorably perceived by regulated financial institutions.”

The firm joins over 60 leading financial institutions, who collaborate in R3’s lab environment, R3’s Lab and Research Centre.

David Rutter, CEO of R3, said “The addition of QIWI is a further milestone for R3 … as we expand our network of consortium members and continue to develop truly global applications for this groundbreaking technology.”