Chainlink has launched the Chainlink Runtime Environment (CRE), a new software platform designed to enable institutions to deploy smart contracts on public and private blockchains with built-in tools for compliance, privacy, and data integration.
Unveiled during Chainlink’s SmartCon, CRE is part of the platform’s push to become the core infrastructure for financial institutions moving onto blockchain-based rails.
Chainlink positioned CRE as the foundation for the tokenization shift, noting that major institutions like Swift, Euroclear, UBS, and Mastercard are adopting it “to capitalize on the $867 trillion tokenization opportunity.”
CRE was first introduced a year ago, where Chainlink compared the importance of the platform to that of the Java development environment for the Internet age.
Unlike previous blockchain tools, CRE offers a unique environment where developers can write smart contracts that work on multiple blockchains, leverage legacy financial messaging standards such as ISO 20022, and comply with regulatory requirements.
CRE also includes access to Chainlink’s existing services such as pricing and proof-of-reserve systems.
Several major players are already using the platform. JPMorgan’s Kinexys and Ondo completed a cross-chain deal using CRE, while UBS Tokenize and DigiFT leveraged it for the first on-chain swap of a tokenized fund.
“Smart contracts have evolved into a more complex form, requiring cross-chain synchronization, connectivity to data and identity, as well as synchronization with many other existing systems,” said Chainlink co-founder Sergey Nazarov.
“These advanced institutional smart contracts have taken months or years to function properly, and with the launch of CRE we can now reduce that to weeks or even just days,” Nazarov added.
Chainlink plans to add privacy features in early 2026, including confidential computing for institutions that require secure handling of proprietary data. CRE is now available on multiple blockchains and open to developers.
