UK Set to Regulate Crypto: Inside the FCA’s New Consultation
The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority has opened a wide-ranging consultation proposing new rules for crypto exchanges, staking platforms and decentralised finance services. The paper outlines potential changes to licensing, custody and transparency requirements and signals a timeline for implementation by 2027. Regulators say the goal is to reduce risk to consumers and markets while giving firms time to adapt.
For industry and users, the consultation matters because it could standardise operational and compliance expectations across the sector, closing gaps that have left some services unregulated. Firms offering trading, custody or staking should prepare for stricter oversight but can also expect clearer legal certainty that may encourage institutional participation. Stakeholders now have the opportunity to respond to the FCA’s proposals and shape how the rules balance innovation with safety.