The Central Bank of Uzbekistan is shifting from traditional oversight to direct participation in fintech market development. Central Bank Chairman Timur Ishmetov presented the national fintech development strategy for 2026–2030 at the Silk Road Finance & Technology Forum.
The document outlines infrastructure creation for startups, workforce training, and open banking development.
Innovation hub and venture capital
The main structural change is the regulator creating its own platform to grow fintech projects. In the fourth quarter of 2026, the Central Bank plans to accept the first group of residents into the new innovation hub. The platform will support startups at all stages: from incubation and acceleration to regulatory consulting and commercial launch preparation.
To finance these projects, the Central Bank established a specialized venture fund. The regulator is currently negotiating with international management companies. The goal is to build a mechanism that allows successful hub residents to scale their business and enter foreign markets. Finteqstan previously reported on how Uzbek crypto project Asterium is preparing to expand into the UAE; the new Central Bank fund aims to systematically support such international ambitions of local players.
Workforce and the digital som
By 2030, the Central Bank intends to train 5,000 students in financial technology. The program was developed jointly with Singaporean universities and the Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN). The first group will begin training before the end of 2026.
A separate focus of the strategy is researching a central bank digital currency (CBDC). The forum announced the upcoming publication of a white paper detailing possible use cases for the digital som, its architecture options, and its impact on the financial system. Following the document’s publication, the regulator will move to the experimental testing phase.
Why it matters
This sets a precedent for a shifting regulatory role in the Central Asian market.
A model where the Central Bank acts as both sandbox creator and venture investor builds a full support cycle for startups—from testing hypotheses to raising capital.
Uzbekistan is forming a pipeline designed to lower the barrier to entry for new fintech players and accelerate their integration into the international market.
