Recently, global financial communications giant SWIFT announced a collaboration with the Ethereum Layer 2 project Linea to jointly explore innovative applications in the blockchain payment sector. This news has attracted widespread attention in the industry, especially considering SWIFT's previous cautious stance on blockchain technology; the current shift in attitude is thought-provoking.

This collaboration has attracted the participation of 12 major international banks, including several well-known institutions on Wall Street. Joe Lubin, the founder of ConsenSys, personally endorsed this initiative, highlighting the importance of this collaboration. SWIFT chose Linea as a partner primarily due to Ethereum's strong ecosystem and its immense potential in the decentralized finance (DeFi) sector.

Linea is based on zero-knowledge proof (zk-rollup) technology, which not only provides a fast and low-cost transaction experience but also benefits from the security guarantees of the Ethereum mainnet. These features align closely with SWIFT's dual requirements for efficiency and security. This collaboration will open the door for SWIFT to various DeFi protocols, expanding its future development space.

The market has reacted positively to this cooperation, believing that its significance far exceeds the cooperation itself. This marks the first official recognition of the value of public chains by traditional financial institutions, representing an important milestone in the development of financial technology. Previously, traditional financial institutions were more inclined to adopt private or consortium chain solutions. SWIFT's initiative to turn to public chains may lead to more traditional financial institutions following suit.

This is undoubtedly a significant benefit for the Ethereum ecosystem, especially conducive to the development of the Layer 2 track. In addition to potentially attracting more capital inflow, it is more important to enhance the legitimacy and industry recognition of the entire ecosystem. This cooperation has opened up a new situation for the integration of traditional finance and Blockchain technology, injecting new vitality into financial innovation.