2021
CryptoUK announces new Executive Members BCB Group and Outlier Ventures alongside a new Institutional Member, CMS
Europe’s leading provider of business accounts and trading services for the digital asset economy, BCB Group; and partners and investors in blockchain, AI and IOT, Outlier Ventures join CryptoUK’s Executive Committee. Law firm CMS joins the community as an Institutional Member.
CryptoUK responds to the Financial Action Task Force public consultation
Our members respond to the updated guidance looking to bring decentralised protocols into the definitions of virtual asset service providers (VASPS). Link here
See our summary on the recent FATF guidance published March 2021
Is FATF’s Draft Guidance DeFi’s Death Knell? Exploring The Provisions & Their Implications For Digital Financial Innovation. Read our blog here.
CryptoUK responds to HM Treasury public consultation on a UK Regulatory Approach to Cryptoassets and Stablecoins
CryptoUK members respond to the detailed consultation of which closed in March 2021.
Crypto UK send open letter to the Chancellor
A large number of the organisation’s members are seeking to be admitted to the Financial Conduct Authority’s Anti Money Laundering register. However, many have reported an arduous process and lack of feedback from the regulator. We urge the chancellor to step in our open letter here.
CryptoUK responds to the FCA public consultation on regulatory fees and levies: policy proposals for 2021/22
A working group of our members was convened to craft a response to the Financial Conduct Authority consultation on its ‘regulatory fees and levies: policy proposals for 2021/22’. Thank you to the many members who participated Link here
2020
PURE DIGITAL JOINS CRYPTOUK
Pure Digital is an interbank marketplace for cryptocurrency price discovery and exchange of wholesale risk. It will provide a best-in-class primary institutional market; with a consortium of banks as liquidity providers, custodians, and clearers.
Electroneum joins Crypto UK
We’re delighted to welcome our newest Executive Member Electroneum to CryptoUK. Its platforms are helping to unlock the global digital economy for millions of people in the developing world.
Scalable Solutions joins Crypto UK
We’re delighted to welcome Compliancy Services Ltd, one of the UK’s leading providers of compliance consultancy and regtech services, to our membership. We look forward to working with them to improve industry best practices and drive digital asset adoption in the UK.
ALTALIX JOINS CRYPTOUK
This regulated fintech provides fiat wallet and on/off ramp solutions to crypto businesses. Altalix aims to include industries which are ineffectively covered by the current banking infrastructure. It enables direct payments between and bridges the real and virtual ecosystems.
COMPLIANCY SERVICES
Complinacy Services help firms that are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority or the Prudential Regulation Authority to become authorised, manage their ongoing compliance and regulatory obligations and empower their staff with focused compliance training.
CryptoUK responds to HM Treasury Cryptoasset promotions & Regulatory Framework for Approval of Financial Promotions (Nov20)
Please see our response to the twin public consultations which closed on the 26th October 2020 here.
KING’S COLLEGE LONDON JOINS CRYPTOUK
KCL is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the UK, with a worldwide reputation for research. Its FinWork Futures Research Centre investigates the future of financial work and the challenges and opportunities that new technologies bring.
Coinpass joins CryptoUK
coinpass.com is an award-winning, UK-based cryptocurrency exchange platform, founded by brilliant-minds to solve the demand for fast, reliable, professional and high-quality financial service products for crypto-to-fiat trading in the United Kingdom. The platform provides a seamless and user-friendly experience when purchasing top cryptocurrencies with GBP sterling.
Exmo joins CryptoUK
Exmo is a British cryptocurrency exchange. The platform was established in 2014 and is constantly expanding its functionality, adding new assets to the listing, and, most importantly, increasing the number of customers.
Crypto UK working group to respond to the Cryptoasset promotions – public consultation commences
We invite our members to join our Working Group to develop a response to the consultation. If you wish to participate please contact us.
Binance UK joins CryptoUK
Binance.UK, the British affiliate of the global blockchain company behind the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, today announced it is joining CryptoUK, the U.K.’s self-regulatory trade association representing the digital asset sector, as an Executive Member. Binance.UK will assume a seat on the CryptoUK Executive Committee, alongside Coinbase, Coin Shares, CryptoCompare, eToro and Ripple. Together this group of industry experts and stakeholders collaborate to lead the Association’s strategic direction. This includes the Association’s Code of Conduct, policy positions and governance to ensure the U.K. fulfils its global leadership potential in this quickly developing and expanding industry.
The Financial Conduct Authority has found that 2.6 million+ people in the UK hold cryptoassets, a number which is increasing daily. Our Chairman Ian Taylor explores the regulatory changes this ever-increasing crypto investment could trigger, and how the UK and EU approaches may differ
We are now over halfway through 2020, which by many accounts, has been, shall we say, unusual. Coronovirus’s all encompassing impacts aside, we are in the midst of even greater engagement from policy makers looking to bring our nascent industry into the broader regulatory perimeter. We’ve long anticipated that greater regulatory clarity could finally trigger a tsunami of institutional interest to engage in our sector, propelling both adoption and growth. This past week we’ve seen major announcements from the likes of the U.S. OCC and Mastercard, both of which could fuel business opportunities for crypto exchanges, custodians and traditionals banks...Read More
The European Commission releases the second and final non-paper on a proposed EU framework for markets in crypto-assets (Jul20)
Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) Further to the EC non paper on a EU framework for markets in crypto-assets published in May (see summary here). CUK has obtained the final non-paper released in July. We are pleased to see that the commission has broadly listened to the industry and is proposing a bespoke regime for non security tokens (payment & utility). Also. that the commission is not considering stablecoins as a form of e-money. For crypto-assets which do not qualify as financial instruments, ‘crypto-asset’, ‘utility token’, ‘asset-backed crypto assets’ and ‘significant asset-backed crypto-assets’ the Commission will propose an all encompassing bespoke regime – the Markets in..Read More
CUK and Blockchain for Europe (BC4E) sign a partnership agreement
The two trade bodies signed an MOU in June to collaborate on shared initiatives to drive the industry forward. Initiatives will include working together on public consultation, lobbying, education and research. BC4E
Executive Members Coinbase acquire Tagomi, a prime brokerage platform specialising in digital asset trading on 27 May 2020
Coinbase were excited to announce that they had agreed to acquire Tagomi, the leading crypto prime brokerage platform. They stated that the acquisition will bolster their offerings for advanced traders and the most sophisticated crypto investors. Crypto prime brokerage, offers institutional clients easier access to liquidity, custody, lending and other products. Prime brokerage has been a major offering of many financial instruments for a numbers of years. However, in crypto industry is somewhat at its infancy. Link to coinbase blog.
Executive Member “Coinshares” Launches the First Gold and Cryptoasset Index on Bloomberg and Refinitiv
On the 26th May 2020 CoinShares announced the launch of the CoinShares Gold and Cryptoassets Index (CGCI), the first EU Benchmark Regulations (EU BMR) compliant index for the digital asset industry that combines digital assets and gold. The index, now live on Bloomberg Terminals and Refinitiv (formerly Reuters), is designed to provide exposure to cryptoassets while improving average returns and reducing volatility. The CGCI is a novel index designed to have moderate operating costs and provide risk-managed exposure to cryptoassets. The unique construction of the index leverages the characteristics of two asset classes –the high volatility of cryptoassets, the low volatility of..Read More
CUK host the HMRC at the first 2020 (semi annual) Roundtable in London
In February CUK hosted the HMRC and our members to discuss the past, current and future developments regarding taxation of crypto-assets in the UK. Highlights of the session included HMRC education update Internal communications 2hr CA training sessions for all HMRC front line staff External communications Guidance (Individual’s and Corporates) published in 2019 The guidance will be transferred into a leaflet – Apr20 Working with traditional tax agents HMRC operated roundtables with Lawyers, accountants, academics etc Working with industry CUK & GDF CUK questions HMRC to seek further clarity on the following Consistency within the UK Global consistency Stablecoins &..Read More
Ready Or Not, 5th AMLD Arrives In The UK
The new chair of CUK commented on the recent implementation of new anti money laundering legislation here in the UK. From 10 Jan 2020, crypto businesses in the UK will be obliged to follow the requirements of the 5th Anti-Money Laundering Directive (5th AMLD), which was transposed into domestic law as the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Amendment) Regulations 2019. Although the 5th AMLD has been a topic of fierce debate across Europe over the last year, concerns remain that its impact on UK businesses will, at least initially, be mired in uncertainty. The domestic legislation came into effect on..Read More
2019
CryptoUK host 5MLD roundtable at the FCA
On Tuesday 24th July, CryptoUK members travelled to the FCA’s offices in Stratford to discuss their experiences of maintaining compliance with anti-money laundering regulations, and preparedness to comply with the upcoming implementation of the Fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (5MLD). As part of the roundtable discussion, CryptoUK sought to outline the key challenges and considerations the FCA should be aware of as 5MLD comes into effect in January 2020, including the need to communicate changes with smaller firms who do not necessarily have the resources to keep up-to-date with new obligations. The discussion was part of an ongoing series of conversations..Read More
5MLD Consultation
In line with an EU directive, the UK must transpose the Fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (5MLD) into UK law by 10th January 2020. This consultation allows CryptoUK and others to contribute to HM Treasury’s interpretation of the directive, and its proposals for compliance, long with additional measures beyond those demanded at the EU level. Many of the proposed changes go further than 5MLD, with the UK’s work with the international Financial Action Taskforce (FATF) also playing a key role.
FCA publishes crypto guidance
Following the Cryptoassets Taskforce report in October, the FCA published a consultation on where they believed cryptoassets fit into existing FCA regulation. In order to clearly separate where it holds competency, the consultation breaks cryptoassets into three categories: Exchange tokens Security tokens Utility tokens The Cryptoassets Guidance consultation, which can be found here , closed in April, with the FCA’s response expected in Summer 2019. The consultation will be followed by separate consultations by the FCA and HM Treasury on expanding the regulatory perimeter, proposals to possibly ban crypto-derivatives from the retail market, and the transposition of the Fifth Anti-Money..Read More
2018
Cryptoassets Taskforce Final Report
Following months of consultation across the industry, the Cryptoassets Taskforce, made up of the FCA, HM Treasury and the Bank of England, published their final report on cryptoassets. The report set out key definitions, as well as an overview of the UK cryptoasset market, key participants, and most importantly, a timeline for further consultation around cryptoasset regulation. CryptoUK is supportive of proportionate and well-informed regulation, which remains important both for industry participants, but also for consumer protection. Improving confidence and understanding of cryptoassets, their features and the opportunities they bring remains an important part of CryptoUK’s work.
Digital currencies inquiry report published
The House of Commons Treasury Select Committee published its report on the Digital Currencies Inquiry, following over 50 submissions from academics, businesses, regulators and others, along with oral evidence that included CryptoUK Chair Iqbal Gandham. The report can be found here.
CryptoUK founded
Following the rising interest in cryptocurrencies between 2016-2018, companies from across the cryptoasset ecosystem came together to form CryptoUK, the first self-regulated association for cryptoasset companies. The first task of the members, with support from the Secretariat, Headland Consultancy, was to respond to the House of Commons Treasury Select Committee’s inquiry on Digital Currencies…