Some crypto firms are treating September as a distant deadline. It isn’t. The FCA’s authorisation application window opens on 30 September 2026 – that is less than four months away and the firms that are not prepared by then face consequences that go well beyond a compliance gap. This is not an extension of the...
The Question Most Boards Haven’t Answered Clearly Payment and e-money firms have spent the past nine months preparing for CASS 15. Policies have been written, auditors engaged, reconciliation processes reviewed. But there is one question that often goes unresolved even in well-prepared firms: if the safeguarding framework fails, who is personally accountable? Not the firm....
The Deadline Has Passed. The Work Has Not. On 7 May 2026, CASS 15 came into force. The FCA’s new safeguarding regime for payment and e-money firms is no longer something to prepare for — it is something firms are now expected to demonstrate compliance with, from day one. For some firms, that is a...
The Rules That Are Already Being Enforced Some firms are still treating crypto financial promotions as a regulatory work in progress. It isn’t. The rules have been in force since October 2023, the FCA has been enforcing them, and the pace of intervention is increasing. If your marketing hasn’t been reviewed against the regime, that...
Financial crime failings remain the number one reason crypto firms face delays, challenges, or outright refusal during the application process. In most cases, the issue isn’t that firms don’t take compliance seriously. It’s that their framework hasn’t evolved to reflect the realities of digital assets and modern regulatory expectations. Strong AML for crypto firms...
Crypto firms have had breathing room in the UK anti-money laundering perimeter. That’s ending. Two regulatory moves are about to bring crypto compliance to parity with traditional banking. The window to get ahead is now—not in 2027. February 2027: Correspondent Banking Rules Arrive for Crypto Crypto is already inside the UK anti-money laundering perimeter...
Your compliance team is probably focused on the big regulatory headlines. But the real work in 2026 is in the details—and the firms that miss these three changes will pay for it later. Change 1: Pooled Accounts Are Under the Microscope The draft Money Laundering Regulations 2026 amendments don’t require full Customer Due Diligence...
“We’re decentralised” has become the crypto industry’s favourite regulatory defence. The assumption is that if no single entity controls a protocol, no single entity can be regulated. It’s a compelling argument in theory. In practice, the FCA is not buying it — and if your business sits anywhere near a DeFi protocol, you...
Exchanges are the front door of the crypto market. They’re where most people buy, sell and trade — and they’re where the most high-profile failures have happened. The FCA knows this, and exchange operators applying for authorisation through the September 2026 gateway should expect a higher level of scrutiny than almost any other applicant category....
Stablecoins are supposed to be the straightforward part of crypto. Pegged to fiat, predictable in value, useful for payments and settlement. But from a regulatory perspective, they’re anything but simple. Stablecoins sit in a grey zone between two different licensing frameworks, and getting the wrong one — or not realising you need both — can...
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LHI Consulting
LHI Consulting is a trading style of LHI Holdings Ltd which is a company registered in England and Wales registered number: 11496647.
GET IN TOUCHRegistered Address
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Essex, United Kingdom,
RM12 6RJCorrespondence Address
LHI Holdings Ltd
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W1T 6EBLHI Consulting
LHI Consulting is a trading style of LHI (Holdings) Ltd which is a company registered in England and Wales registered number: 11496647.
GET IN TOUCHRegistered Address
Spectrum House,
2b Sutton Lane,
Hornchurch,
Essex, United Kingdom,
RM12 6RJCorrespondence Address
LHI Holdings Ltd
4th Floor Silverstream House
45 Fitzroy Street
London
W1T 6EB