The Central Bank of Nigeria opens its second regulatory sandbox cohort with a dedicated track for cryptocurrency firms.
TL;DR
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will accept applications for its second Regulatory Sandbox cohort from August 12 to August 31, 2026.
The new cohort features two pathways: a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) track for crypto and stablecoin testing, and a Data Enabled track for permission-based data sharing.
Intelligence
This regulatory move follows a 2026 Presidential Executive Order on virtual assets, new crypto taxation guidelines, and recent SEC approvals for seven digital asset firms.
The inclusion of a dedicated VASP track in the CBN's sandbox signals a formal shift toward supervising and integrating digital assets rather than restricting them.
For Nigerian crypto startups and digital finance platforms, participating in this cohort during the August 2026 window offers a critical pathway to gain regulatory alignment and testing approvals.
However, because sandbox participation does not equate to a full license, these businesses must prepare for rigorous compliance and reporting requirements to achieve permanent operations.
6 companies and people in this story have tracked profiles.
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