GDPR and Crypto Onboarding: Where Firms Are Exposed Without Realising It
Crypto firms spend significant time and resource building onboarding processes that satisfy the FCA. KYC checks, AML screening, appropriateness assessments, risk warnings, cooling-off periods — the regulatory requirements are well understood, and most firms have invested in meeting them. What far fewer firms have done is ask a separate but equally important question: is the […]
AML for Crypto Firms: Why Your Current Framework Probably Isn’t Enough
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 Compliance Is About to Look Like Banking
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 […]
Three Compliance Changes You’re Not Ready For (Yet)
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 […]
Stablecoins and the FCA: Where Payment Services Regulation Meets the Crypto Regime
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 […]
Crypto Custody Under the New FCA Regime: What Custodians Need to Know
If your business holds other people’s crypto, the FCA is paying close attention. Custody is one of the highest-risk permission categories in the new cryptoasset regime, and the requirements go well beyond what most firms currently have in place. Whether you’re a dedicated custodian, a platform that holds assets on behalf of users, or a […]
FCA Pre-Application Support for Crypto Firms: How to Use It and Why You Should
The FCA has made a pre-application support service available specifically for firms preparing cryptoasset authorisation applications. This is one of the most useful tools available to firms right now — and one of the least used. Many firms do not know the service exists, and those that do often underestimate its value or misunderstand how […]
What Happens If You Miss the February 2027 Crypto Authorisation Deadline?
You already know the dates. The FCA’s cryptoasset authorisation gateway opens on 30 September 2026 and closes on 28 February 2027. You probably also know that firms applying during this window get transitional arrangements allowing them to continue operating. But what actually happens if you don’t apply in time? The consequences are more severe — […]
Transitional Arrangements for Cryptoasset Firms: What They Cover and What They Don’t
The FCA’s transitional arrangements for the new cryptoasset regime are widely misunderstood. The headline is simple: apply during the gateway window (30 September 2026 to 28 February 2027) and you can continue operating after the regime starts on 25 October 2027. But the detail matters. The transitional provisions are not a blanket licence […]
Building a Crypto Compliance Framework From Scratch: Where to Start Before the FCA Gateway Opens
If you are a new entrant preparing for the FCA’s cryptoasset authorisation gateway in September 2026, the compliance framework you submit is not a supporting document — it is the application. A weak framework means delays, additional information requests or refusal. Here is the sequence of work and where to focus your effort. The […]