UK Financial Conduct Authority Moots Global Sandbox

The Financial Conduct Authority has issued a questionnaire on whether a global regulatory sandbox for fintech and other innovative businesses would be beneficial and how it would operate. The FCA set up the United Kingdom's Regulatory Sandbox in 2016 to provide a controlled environment for firms looking to develop and launch innovative businesses models. Similar sandboxes have been introduced in other countries as diverse as the United States, Australia, Bahrain, the Abu Dhabi Global Market, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Canada and Singapore. Other countries have officially announced the establishment of a sandbox or are in the process of setting up their sandbox.

The FCA considers that a global sandbox could allow firms to conduct tests in different jurisdictions at the same time. It could also bring regulators together to identify and work on solutions to common cross-border regulatory issues. Recognizing that establishing a global sandbox would be an enormous task, the FCA also suggests, as an interim measure, the establishment of an international college of regulators with innovation or sandbox models, so that firms could access multiple regulators simultaneously. This approach would also allow the regulators to share and learn from each other about new innovative business models.

The FCA requests feedback on the ideas by March 2, 2018. The FCA expects to provide an update on the global sandbox proposition later in March 2018.

View the FCA webpage.

View the questionnaire.