QFC-backed platform lets Islamic banks use AI without exposing data

“RegTech firm has launched a platform that applies an institution’s data disclosure policy before information reaches any external AI or cloud system, inverting the sequence that has long exposed regulated financial institutions to data sovereignty and Shariah compliance risks. Blade Labs recently launched ZeroH Disclosure, a patent-pending privacy and proof platform developed with the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) through its Digital Assets Lab. The launch also introduced Ask Ali, an AI co-pilot for compliance, product development, and Shariah governance teams inside Islamic financial institutions. Both are available for early access from May 12, 2026. Huzayfa Patel, Digital Assets at the Qatar Financial Centre, said: “The launch of ZeroH Disclosure by Blade Labs is a strong example of what the QFC Digital Assets Lab is designed to do: Provide a robust environment where innovative solutions can be developed, validated, and brought to market with confidence. “By enabling the advancement of solutions that unlock the potential of AI and cloud adoption while safeguarding data privacy, we’re enhancing the efficiency, security, and resilience of financial services in Qatar.” Patel added: “Initiatives like this reinforce the QFC’s commitment to building a forward-looking financial ecosystem that aligns with global standards and addresses the evolving needs of regulated institutions.” According to Blade Labs, Qatar is the platform’s “launch jurisdiction,” and the choice reflects deliberate strategic intent, noting that Qatar National Vision 2030 “places digital financial services at the centre of the country’s economic diversification strategy.” The problem ZeroH Disclosure seeks to address “has quietly stalled AI adoption across regulated finance,” Blade Labs noted. Institutions want what AI and cloud services offer, but face hard constraints, such as “data sovereignty laws, privacy regulations and, in Islamic finance, the requirement that Shariah governance is demonstrably followed, not merely claimed.” Blade Labs explained that the institution’s disclosure policy is applied first; and data moves only after enforcement. Each controlled disclosure generates a cryptographic proof record that management, Shariah boards, auditors, and regulators can independently verify. Built on this architecture, Blade Lads stated that Ask Ali operates entirely within the controls its host institution has already approved. It knows what data it is and is not permitted to use, and can prove it. Every action runs against the institution’s policy first and produces audit evidence as a byproduct, it also stated. Blade Labs CEO Sami Mian said, “Islamic digital banks do not need another AI chatbot. They need a system that turns legal and Shariah requirements into day-to-day operating controls, lets teams use AI responsibly, and gives management, Shariah boards, auditors, and regulators something they can verify. “Our technology starts before the cloud. Data does not leave the institution’s control unless the relevant disclosure policy has been applied first, so that institutions can actually use the cloud.” ZeroH Disclosure enters research preview on May 12, 2026, available first through Ask Ali. Islamic digital banks, traditional banks, and regulated institutions can request early access, institutional pilots, and enterprise deployments at zeroh.io/ask-ali.

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