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Registered crypto companies must reapply for approval, UK regulator says
The FCA said firms wishing to undertake crypto-related activity will be need to be authorized when a new regime starts in October 2027.
Jan 9, 2026, 2:31 p.m.
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What to know:
- The U.K.'s FCA plans to start accepting applications from cryptocurrency companies to operate under its new regulatory framework in September.
- Companies already registered under existing frameworks will also need to apply.
- The financial regulator said firms wishing to undertake any crypto-related activity will need to be authorized at the outset of the new regime in October 2027.
The U.K.'s financial regulator said companies looking to offer crypto-related services in the country will need to be authorized under new rules that take effect in October 2027.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said the requirement also applies to companies that are already registered as crypto companies under its money laundering regulations (MLRs). The authority awarded Ripple, the developer and issuer of payments token XRP, MLR registration on Friday.
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The FCA will started accepting applications in September, it said in a Thursday notice on its website. The road to formal regulation of cryptocurrency in the U.K. became clearer at the end of 2025 with legislation from the Treasury that extended existing financial rules to cover crypto companies.
Supplementing the legislation, the FCA started a consultation to seek feedback on the proposed rules under the new framework, extending to areas such as listing tokens, standards for exchanges, requirements for brokers, lending and borrowing and decentralized finance (DeFi).
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KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.
What to know:
- KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
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- Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
- Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.
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Ukraine banned Polymarket and there’s no legal way for it to come back
Polymarket and similar platforms are considered unlicensed gambling operators, leading to blocked access.
What to know:
- Ukraine has no legal framework for Web3 prediction markets, and current legislation provides no recognition for such platforms.
- Polymarket and similar platforms are considered unlicensed gambling operators, leading to blocked access.
- Legal changes are unlikely in the near future, as Parliamentary revisions to gambling definitions are extremely improbable during wartime, leaving prediction markets in a legal deadlock.
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