Regulation

Regulation

CoinDesk Indices

Crypto for Advisors: Will 2026 Be the Year of Crypto Regulation?

Will 2026 be all about regulation? From market structure to token classification, a breakdown of the U.S. crypto regulatory outlook and what it means for financial advisors.

Traffic Light at Night

Policy

Crypto regulation to become global reality this year, PwC says

PwC says 2026 is when crypto rules go live globally, reshaping stablecoins, compliance, and the race to become the industry’s most trusted hub.

PwC building (Photo by 𝗔𝗹𝗲𝘅 𝘙𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘳 on Unsplash/Modified by CoinDesk)

Policy

Trump's new CFTC chief Selig starts 'future-proof' initiative to champion crypto

Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Mike Selig signals an intent to set crypto policy into formal rules that would be hard to reverse down the road.

Mike Selig (Nikhilesh De/CoinDesk)

Policy

Portugal joins growing list of countries cracking down on Polymarket

Betting on political events is illegal in Portugal, and the regulator gave Polymarket 48 hours to cease operations in the country.

Portugal's Praça do Comércio (Claudio Schwarz/Unsplash/Modified by CoinDesk)

Policy

Dubai bans privacy token use on exchanges, tightens stablecoin rules in crypto reset

Dubai's financial regulator said privacy-focused assets are incompatible with global compliance norms as it moves to a firm-led token suitability model and sharper stablecoin classifications.

Dubai UAE (Pexels, Pixabay)

Policy

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.

UK FCA (FCA, modified by CoinDesk)

Policy

South Korea’s long-awaited crypto law stalls over who can issue stablecoins

The Digital Asset Basic Act is stalled as regulators clash over who should be allowed to issue won-pegged stablecoins, extending uncertainty in one of Asia’s most active crypto markets.

South Korea's National Assembly

Policy

Federal Reserve moves toward narrower, crypto-driven take on master accounts

The U.S. central bank has been mulling the idea of a "skinny" version of master accounts for firms that want payments access without the deeper Fed demands.

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller at DC Fintech Week (Jesse Hamilton/CoinDesk)

Finance

Bybit returns to UK with 100 crypto trading pairs after 2-year break

Bybit exited the U.K. in 2023 following a tightening of rules around the promotion and marketing of crypto services.

A view over the City of London taken over the Thames near Tower Bridge. (Cj / Unsplash+)

News Analysis

What if crypto's U.S. market structure effort just never gets there?

Guessing the direction of Congress is akin to long-range weather prediction, with so many variables in play, and the industry's fate depends on a break in the storm.

U.S. Congress (Jesse Hamilton/CoinDesk)