What is the Digital Securities Sandbox?

The Digital Securities Sandbox is a joint Bank of England and FCA programme that lets firms develop, test and operate digital securities infrastructure under live regulatory supervision, with the goal of modernising UK capital markets.

What does Gate 1 mean in practice?

Gate 1 confirms that CurveBlock has been formally accepted into the Sandbox and is authorised to undertake live activity within the agreed scope and limits, under regulator supervision.

What will Gate 2 unlock?

Gate 2 is the next stage, in which Sandbox firms can scale activity further within an expanded supervised perimeter. We are working through the requirements set by the Bank and the FCA.

Why does this matter for ordinary investors?

Because it means the platform you put your money on is being built on the same rails the regulators are using to test the next generation of UK capital markets, rather than offshore or outside any UK perimeter at all.

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The Digital Securities Sandbox, and what Gate 1 actually means

By Gary Woodhead, Founder and CEO of CurveBlock Ltd.

In short: CurveBlock has been approved for Gate 1 of the Bank of England and FCA Digital Securities Sandbox. That is a regulator supervised testing regime, not the same thing as full FCA authorisation. We never claim it is. This page sets out exactly what the Sandbox is, what Gate 1 actually unlocks, and why that matters for ordinary investors.

What the Sandbox is

The Digital Securities Sandbox is a joint programme run by the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority. It is not a marketing scheme and it is not an industry kitemark. It is a live regulatory perimeter, built deliberately, so that the Bank and the FCA can supervise firms developing the next generation of UK capital markets infrastructure in the open, rather than waiting for it to happen offshore.

Inside the Sandbox, firms operate under conditions that are explicit, supervised and consumer focused. Outside the Sandbox, retail digital securities activity of this kind would not be permitted in the UK at all today. That is the gap the Sandbox is built to bridge.

What Gate 1 means

The Sandbox is staged. Gate 1 is the entry point. To be approved for Gate 1, a firm has to demonstrate to the Bank and the FCA that it has the controls, the technology, the people and the consumer protections needed to undertake live activity within the agreed scope and limits, under regulator supervision.

CurveBlock is one of the firms that has been approved at this stage. We are inside the supervised perimeter, undertaking live activity, with all of the obligations that come with that. We are not operating outside any regime.

What Gate 1 does not mean

It is not full FCA authorisation. Full authorisation is a separate, broader regime with its own bar to clear.
It is not an endorsement of the investment itself by the Bank or the FCA. No regulator endorses any single investment.
It is not protection from market risk. Capital is at risk, the value of digital shares can fall as well as rise, and past performance is not a guide to future returns.
It is not a guarantee of compensation. Investors should read the Sandbox specific protections that apply, alongside the wider regime that does not.

Why this matters for the everyday investor

For ordinary savers, the practical effect is simple. The Sandbox means the platform you are putting your money on is being built on the same rails the regulators themselves are using to design the future of UK capital markets. It is supervised. It is transparent about its limits. And it has been deliberately engineered for the consumer end of the market, not the institutional end.

The honest summary: this is a serious regime, it is not the only regime, and we will keep telling you exactly which one applies and where the line sits.

Where to read the official material

The Bank of England and the FCA publish the official Sandbox material on their own websites. We recommend reading the source. If anything we say on this page is ever out of step with the regulators' own words, the regulators' own words win.

Frequently asked questions

Is CurveBlock FCA regulated?: CurveBlock has been approved for Gate 1 of the Bank of England and FCA Digital Securities Sandbox. That is a regulator supervised testing regime, not the same thing as full FCA authorisation. CurveBlock operates under explicit Sandbox conditions and consumer protections.
What is the Digital Securities Sandbox?: The Digital Securities Sandbox is a joint Bank of England and FCA programme that lets firms develop, test and operate digital securities infrastructure under live regulatory supervision, with the goal of modernising UK capital markets.
What does Gate 1 mean in practice?: Gate 1 confirms that CurveBlock has been formally accepted into the Sandbox and is authorised to undertake live activity within the agreed scope and limits, under regulator supervision.
What will Gate 2 unlock?: Gate 2 is the next stage, in which Sandbox firms can scale activity further within an expanded supervised perimeter. We are working through the requirements set by the Bank and the FCA.
Why does this matter for ordinary investors?: Because it means the platform you put your money on is being built on the same rails the regulators are using to test the next generation of UK capital markets, rather than offshore or outside any UK perimeter at all.

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General information about the CurveBlock platform. Not financial, legal or tax advice. Capital is at risk. The value of digital shares can fall as well as rise. Past performance is not a guide to future returns.