The United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced plans to complete comprehensive regulations for the cryptocurrency sector by 2026 as the government works to align with global financial centers.
UK Financial Regulator to Finalize Crypto Rules by 2026
According to the announcement today, the FCA will publish a series of discussion papers and consultations from this quarter, addressing key areas such as market abuse, trading platforms, crypto lending and stablecoins.
The initiative comes as the UK faces increasing pressure to compete with jurisdictions such as Hong Kong, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates that have already implemented crypto regulations.
The European Union’s MiCA framework is set to come into full force by the end of 2024, and the re-election of crypto advocate Donald Trump as US president has intensified the need to act quickly.
“We’ve had a lot of good conversations with the industry recently about how we can learn from regulation around the world,” Matthew Long, the FCA’s director of payments and digital assets, said in an interview.
The decision to set a 2026 timeline reflects the UK's effort to balance innovation with investor protection and market integrity.
Keir Starmer’s government aims to position the UK as a leader in the global crypto landscape while promoting a stable and transparent environment for digital asset businesses.
The FCA’s approach marks a significant step in shaping the regulatory framework for one of the fastest growing sectors in finance and ensures the UK remains competitive on the global stage.
*This is not investment advice.
