On 30 June 2026, the Financial Conduct Authority published five policy statements setting out final rules for the UK cryptoasset regime. The statements cover admissions and disclosures, market abuse, stablecoin issuance, prudential requirements, and FCA Handbook application to regulated cryptoasset activities. The regime enters full legal effect on 25 October 2027.
The regime's legal basis is The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2026, passed by Parliament on 4 February 2026. Those regulations designate a broad range of cryptoasset activities as specified activities under FSMA 2000, requiring firms to hold FCA authorisation or permission. The five policy statements span five regulatory domains. The admissions and disclosures statement sets out what information issuers must publish before and after a token is admitted to trading. A bespoke market abuse statement covers insider dealing and market manipulation specific to cryptoasset markets. A prudential statement calibrates capital and liquidity requirements to cryptoasset business models. A stablecoin statement specifies requirements for fiat-backed e-money token issuers. An FCA Handbook application statement maps existing conduct and organisational obligations onto regulated cryptoasset activities. Alongside the five statements, the FCA published three pieces of finalised guidance and two further guidance consultations.
Cryptoasset exchanges, custodians, stablecoin issuers, and firms providing lending, staking, or portfolio management in cryptoassets must obtain full FCA authorisation before 25 October 2027. Firms already registered under the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 may apply for authorisation between 30 September 2026 and 28 February 2027. Those that apply within the window may rely on transitional provisions to continue operating while the FCA assesses their application. Firms that miss the 28 February 2027 deadline forfeit access to transitional arrangements and may be required to stop regulated activities until authorisation is granted.
The two further guidance consultations address areas where the FCA requires additional market input before finalising rules, creating residual rule-making risk in those domains. Firms should map their activities against the five policy statement domains and assess existing compliance infrastructure against the new requirements before filing an authorisation application. The full cryptoasset regime applies only to firms granted FSMA permission on or after 25 October 2027.
We may advise on cryptoasset regulatory compliance and have a partner network with direct experience on FCA authorisation for cryptoasset firms. Contact us to discuss a readiness assessment or authorisation pathway. Work we undertake includes cryptoasset regulatory licensing, FSMA permissions applications, stablecoin issuance compliance, market abuse policy development, and prudential requirements analysis.
Source: Financial Conduct Authority, Overview of Cryptoassets Regime Policy Statements, 30 June 2026