uk

This week, the UK-related economic development agency invited the management of the cryptocurrency exchange Bybit to London to meet with representatives from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the House of Lords to discuss topics such as cryptocurrency regulation, business establishment, and employment.Bybit CEO Ben Zhou stated that the UK side hopes to attract large companies to establish bases locally and promote innovation through stablecoins, tokenization, and payment system reforms. Reports indicate that this invitation coincides with the UK's FinTech Week and reflects the UK's intention to reverse the trend of funds and businesses flowing to the UAE.

The UK Treasury announced a regulatory scheme during London Fintech Week, planning to incorporate stablecoins and tokenized deposits into a unified regulatory framework with traditional payment services.The scheme aims to regulate stablecoins used for payments under the upcoming issuance regime, while expanding the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) regulatory scope over open banking, and exploring regulatory adjustments for payment activities executed by AI agents. The proposal also suggests reducing administrative requirements for businesses providing stablecoin payment services through new legislation.The UK Treasury also announced the appointment of EY partner and former interim CEO of the FCA, Chris Woolard CBE, as the wholesale digital market champion, responsible for advancing the development of a tokenized wholesale financial system, and committed to providing £1 million (approximately $1.35 million) in funding support to the Centre for Financial Innovation and Technology starting in April. Minister for Cities Lucy Rigby stated that the scheme aims to build a secure, competitive payment ecosystem that can seize opportunities from technological changes. The UK government recognizes the transformative potential of digital assets and blockchain technology, believing they can reshape the way consumers and businesses interact with financial services.

According to official social media news, the Chinese decentralized contract trading platform Sun Wukong has now launched META/USDT and AAPL/USDT, with a maximum leverage of 20 times.

Coinbase announced the launch of a crypto collateral lending service in the UK, allowing users to use BTC, ETH, and cbETH as collateral to borrow USDC within one minute. The service is supported by the open-source lending protocol Morpho on the Base chain.Coinbase stated that the product was launched ahead of 2025, and as of April 14, 2026, the total amount of loans issued through Morpho via Coinbase has exceeded 2.17 billion USDC. Users can check loan health, historical annual interest rates, and liquidation alerts within the Coinbase App, with rates dynamically adjusted according to market conditions.

The UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has released the final draft of the crypto asset framework. This new regulation is set to bring most crypto activities under the regulation of the Financial Services and Markets Act by October 25, 2027.According to the proposal, any institution that holds customer crypto assets for more than 24 hours or has the ability to revoke customer permissions will be considered a regulated custodian and must hold a full safeguarding license. Validators and node operators that provide value-added features such as yield or reward reinvestment will lose their technical exemptions. In addition, stablecoin issuers within the UK must control the entire lifecycle from issuance to redemption. Relevant institutions must submit authorization applications between September 30, 2026, and February 28, 2027.

The National Police of Ukraine and the Internal Security Department conducted a joint operation, arresting a suspect in the Transcarpathian region who is alleged to be involved in an international cybercrime gang. This gang is implicated in fraud and money laundering cases exceeding $100 million targeting the United States and Europe, and had previously been listed as an international wanted person by the FBI.The suspect was found in possession of forged identity documents and had even fabricated a death certificate to conceal their whereabouts. The gang deployed malware to steal personal and corporate data, subsequently extorting victims for ransom. Money laundering methods included purchasing real estate and using relatives' names to obscure the flow of funds. Authorities seized approximately $11 million in assets, including cash, real estate, vehicles, and about $3 million worth of cryptocurrency, and also apprehended two co-defendants. The suspect faces charges of document forgery and money laundering.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK is seeking feedback on specific regulatory activities for digital assets under its cryptocurrency roadmap.This consultation covers how activities such as stablecoin issuance, trading platforms, custody, and staking will fall under regulatory oversight. The consultation will close on June 3, 2026, and cryptocurrency businesses can apply for FCA authorization starting September 30, 2026. The FCA stated that the consultation on the rules for the future cryptocurrency asset regime is largely complete, and a policy statement will be released this summer. Before the new legislative regime is implemented in 2027, cryptocurrency assets remain largely unregulated in the UK, except for financial promotions and financial crime purposes.

According to market news, Anthropic plans to provide access to "Mythos" to UK banks within the next week.

According to official social media news, the decentralized contract trading platform Sun Wukong will hold a live broadcast today at 19:00 (UTC+8) themed "Hong Kong Web3 Carnival: What Kind of Market Are We Looking Forward to in 2026?" At that time, KOLs in the crypto space such as Alice, Mike Banana, Metamental | Beyond the Realm, MMK, and Web3 He Yi (sophia) will attend to discuss the trends in the crypto market for 2026 surrounding the upcoming Hong Kong Web3 Carnival.

The UK asset management firm Legal & General has put its managed liquidity funds, exceeding £50 billion, on-chain through the tokenized distribution network launched by Calastone.The firm is now offering money market funds in tokenized share form on this network, supporting USD, EUR, and GBP, covering issuance, trading, and same-day settlement. Investors can purchase, hold, and transfer the related tokenized shares within a permissioned, regulated network. The relevant funds will be deployed on Ethereum and compatible blockchains, with plans to expand to more networks in the future.

According to Cointelegraph, the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced that it is seeking industry feedback on guidance for the future regulatory framework for crypto assets in the UK, aimed at facilitating the implementation of a comprehensive regulatory framework that will take effect on October 25, 2027.According to the announcement, this consultation will last until June 3, 2026, and aims to help businesses understand the impact of the new regulations on their operations, providing compliance guidance for key areas such as stablecoin issuance, crypto trading, custody, and staking.The FCA stated that it hopes to establish a "competitive and sustainable" crypto market, allowing compliant institutions to better serve UK users. The FCA also disclosed that the application process for relevant crypto business licenses is expected to open in September 2026 and continue until February 2027.All institutions providing crypto asset services will need to obtain authorization under the Financial Services and Markets Act (FSMA) in the future, and previous registration under anti-money laundering frameworks will not automatically exempt them. This guidance consultation is seen as an important step in the UK's gradual improvement of its crypto regulatory system, marking an accelerated transition from partial regulation to a comprehensive licensing system.

According to official social media news, the Chinese decentralized contract trading platform Sun Wukong has now launched BLESS/USDT, with a maximum leverage of 20 times.

According to market news, the UK Liberal Democrats have written to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), requesting an investigation into the relationship between Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and the Bitcoin company Stack BTC.The party questions whether Farage's appearance in the company's promotional video, while holding shares in Stack BTC, violates market rules and presents a conflict of interest. Stack BTC recently disclosed that it purchased 37 bitcoins as company reserves, valued at approximately $2.7 million, and Farage holds a 6.31% stake in Stack BTC through his media company. At the same time, the UK government is advancing a proposal to ban political donations in cryptocurrency to prevent external funding from interfering in elections. The FCA stated that it will review the relevant correspondence and respond.

According to DL News, Coinbase has opened access to decentralized exchange (DEX) trading for UK customers, allowing users to access DeFi platforms such as Uniswap and Aerodrome through the Coinbase app to trade Base native assets, with plans to expand to other networks like Solana.The CEO of Coinbase UK stated that the UK is the most important market outside the United States, and this launch aims to demonstrate to the government the safety of DeFi under compliant operations. The design philosophy of this service is to maintain Coinbase's easy experience on the front end while integrating DeFi protocols on the back end. Coinbase will filter asset risks by collaborating with trusted third parties, such as high concentration of holdings potentially indicating rug pull risks. This is part of Coinbase's strategy to build a "full-service exchange," with plans to launch more services in the UK this year.

According to official social media news, the Chinese decentralized contract trading platform Sun Wukong has now launched RAVE/USDT, with a maximum leverage of 20 times.

According to the Financial Times, informed sources revealed that the UK will not participate in the US blockade operation in the Strait of Hormuz. Last night, Trump claimed that after the US-Iran peace talks failed to make progress, the US Navy would blockade this important waterway. The US will deploy more minesweepers to the Strait of Hormuz. NATO also "wants to help clear the strait," and the UK and other countries are sending minesweepers.A spokesperson for the UK government stated: "We continue to support freedom of navigation and the openness of the Strait of Hormuz, which is crucial for supporting the global economy and alleviating domestic living costs. There must be no charges for navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. We are urgently working with France and other partners to form a broad coalition to protect freedom of navigation."

According to a statement from the Kremlin on the evening of April 9, Russian President Putin announced that Russia will implement an Orthodox Easter ceasefire from 16:00 Moscow time on April 11 to 24:00 on April 12 (from 21:00 Beijing time on April 11 to 5:00 on April 13), lasting 32 hours, and called on Ukraine to follow suit.Ukrainian President Zelensky immediately responded, "Ukraine has repeatedly stated that we are ready to take reciprocal measures. We have proposed a ceasefire during this year's Easter holiday and will act accordingly."This is a rare opportunity for both sides to publicly agree on a ceasefire amid recent conflicts, but whether it can be implemented and if there are any additional conditions remains to be seen.

According to Cointelegraph, the joint law enforcement operation "Operation Atlantic" by the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada was completed in March this year, led by the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA). Over $12 million in suspected fraud proceeds were frozen, and more than 20,000 victims were identified, with a total fraud amount exceeding $45 million.This operation focused on authorized phishing attacks—a scam technique that induces users to sign malicious authorizations, thereby allowing attackers to transfer tokens from the wallet. Binance participated by providing account screening and fraud intelligence support, but no funds were frozen from its platform.

According to CoinDesk, BitMEX co-founder Ben Delo stated in a commentary for The Daily Telegraph that he has donated £4 million (approximately $5.1 million) to the Reform UK party led by Nigel Farage since the beginning of this year, to support its goal of becoming "a viable alternative for governance." Delo did not disclose whether the donation was made in fiat or cryptocurrency, but publicly supports the UK government's proposed temporary ban on political donations in cryptocurrency, citing regulatory complexities. Recent guidance from the UK Electoral Commission indicates that cryptocurrency donations are not currently prohibited under election law, but must be valued in pounds at the time of receipt and the identity of the donor must be verified. The UK government has announced an immediate suspension of cryptocurrency donations to all parties as part of measures to combat foreign interference.Meanwhile, the Reform UK party has also recently received a £9 million donation from cryptocurrency investor Christopher Harborne.

Binance announced its participation in the international law enforcement operation "Operation Atlantic," led by the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA), in collaboration with multiple countries' law enforcement agencies to combat cryptocurrency and investment fraud, focusing on "approval phishing" scams.The operation was jointly initiated by the NCA, the U.S. Secret Service, and relevant law enforcement and regulatory agencies in Ontario, Canada, aiming to identify victims who have been compromised or are at risk. Approval phishing typically disguises itself as an investment opportunity, luring users into granting wallet access permissions, thereby transferring assets. During the operation, Binance's special investigation team provided on-site support in London, including fraud identification processes, risk screening, and intelligence analysis, and assisted in identifying potential victims and related malicious websites.At the same time, Binance also provided law enforcement agencies with addresses and suspect intelligence related to the case, supporting asset tracking and enforcement actions. The NCA stated that this operation has successfully protected thousands of potential victims in the UK and overseas. Binance emphasized that it will continue to cooperate with global law enforcement agencies to strengthen the fight against cryptocurrency fraud.