The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has admitted seven new companies into its Accelerated Regulatory Incubation Programme (ARIP), in a move aimed at promoting responsible innovation while strengthening investor protection and Nigeria’s capital market.

The newly admitted firms are Bitbarter Technologies Limited, Luno Fintech Nigeria Limited, GetEquity Limited, Koinkoin Global Network Limited, Wrapped CBDC Ltd, Trovotech Ltd and Blockvault Custodian Ltd.

According to the Commission, the companies have been granted Approval-in-Principle (AIP), allowing them to operate within the scope of the programme, subject to specified regulatory conditions.

SEC explained that the approval confirms the firms have met the admission requirements for ARIP but does not constitute a final operating licence. It stressed that the approval remains conditional on the entities’ continued compliance with all applicable regulatory, operational and supervisory requirements.

The Commission noted that ARIP is an innovative regulatory framework designed to fast-track the onboarding of digital asset and investment service providers, including Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) and tokenised investment platforms, through a controlled regulatory sandbox.

According to the SEC, the programme enables the Commission to assess emerging business models and technologies in a supervised environment, ensuring that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect investors and preserve market integrity before such products and services are made available to the investing public.

The Commission reaffirmed its commitment to fostering innovation that enhances efficiency, transparency, financial inclusion and sustainable growth in Nigeria’s capital market.

It added that initiatives such as ARIP are intended to encourage responsible technological advancement while maintaining robust investor protection measures and market discipline.

The SEC also advised members of the investing public to verify the regulatory status of any individual or organisation promoting investment products or services through its official channels before making investment decisions.