Crypto will be regulated in the UK from October 2027. The FCA is finalising the wider cryptoasset regime, with rules to be published this summer. Parliament has now confirmed which cryptoasset activities will fall within the scope of regulation.
Building on that, the FCA is consulting on new guidance to help firms understand how they might be affected by the regulatory regime for cryptoassets.
The FCA is seeking feedback on its interpretation of the following regulated cryptoasset activities:
- issuing qualifying stablecoin
- operating trading platforms
- dealing and arranging deals in qualifying cryptoassets
- safeguarding cryptoassets
- staking
The proposed guidance supports the FCA’s aim for an open, sustainable and competitive crypto market people can trust.
Crypto firms will be able to start applying for authorisation from September 2026. Ahead of this, the FCA is providing crypto firms with support on how to apply and to understand how the future regime could work.
Until the new regime comes into force, crypto is largely unregulated except for financial promotions and financial crime purposes. As with all high-risk investments, people should only put in what they can afford to lose.
Notes to editors
- Read the full consultation.
- The consultation closes on 3 June 2026.
- This publication marks another step towards crypto regulation in the UK, following the making of the statutory instrument in Parliament on 4 February 2026.
- The FCA has set out the timeline for crypto regulation in its crypto roadmap.
- The FCA has consulted on stablecoin issuance and cryptoasset custody (CP25/14), prudential rules (CP25/15 and CP25/42), the application of the FCA Handbook (CP25/25 and CP26/4), regulating cryptoasset activities (CP25/40), and admissions and disclosures and market abuse (CP25/41).
- The FCA’s consultations on rules for the future cryptoasset regime are substantively complete, with policy statements to be published this summer. This perimeter guidance consultation complements that work by clarifying which activities fall within scope, with a final policy statement due in autumn.
- The authorisations gateway opens on 30 September. The FCA is hosting authorisation-focussed webinars to support prospective applicants, with an introduction to the upcoming regulatory changes and an intro to anti-money laundering regulations available on demand. The next webinar, on 29 April, focuses on the Senior Managers and Certification Regime.
- Later this year, the FCA will consult on decentralised finance (DeFi) guidance and separately on operational resilience guidance for firms using distributed ledger technology (DLT). It will also consult on updates to the Financial Crime Guide relevant to cryptoasset firms.
- Find out more about requirements firms must comply with.