KARACHI: The State Bank announced on Friday that it was launch ing the second cohort of the Regulatory Sandbox.

“It will enable the applicants to test their innovative solutions and help SBP in refining and upgrading the regulatory environment in line with the emerging technologies,” the central bank said in a circular.

In line with SBP Vision 2028, the SBP launched the Regulatory Sandbox in August 2025 and successfully concluded its first cohort in June.

With the announcement of the second cohort, the SBP continues its efforts to support responsible innovation in the digital financial services ecosystem, while ensuring consumer protection and financial stability.

For the second cohort, the SBP will consider applications focused on use cases covering the following themes: AI in Financial Services; Innovations in Payments;

Technology-enabled Inward Remittances and Open Theme—NextGen Financial Services.

Applications for participation in the second cohort will be accepted till Nov 30, the circular said.

Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2026