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21 January 2026

New UK Crypto Regime: Regulated Activities

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A&O Shearman

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A&O Shearman was formed in 2024 via the merger of two historic firms, Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling. With nearly 4,000 lawyers globally, we are equally fluent in English law, U.S. law and the laws of the world’s most dynamic markets. This combination creates a new kind of law firm, one built to achieve unparalleled outcomes for our clients on their most complex, multijurisdictional matters – everywhere in the world. A firm that advises at the forefront of the forces changing the current of global business and that is unrivalled in its global strength. Our clients benefit from the collective experience of teams who work with many of the world’s most influential companies and institutions, and have a history of precedent-setting innovations. Together our lawyers advise more than a third of NYSE-listed businesses, a fifth of the NASDAQ and a notable proportion of the London Stock Exchange, the Euronext, Euronext Paris and the Tokyo and Hong Kong Stock Exchanges.
The countdown to the UK's new crypto regime has begun. On December 15, 2025, the UK published finalised regulations to introduce licensing and market abuse regimes for the crypto market, effective from October 25, 2027.
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The countdown to the UK's new crypto regime has begun. On December 15, 2025, the UK published finalised regulations to introduce licensing and market abuse regimes for the crypto market, effective from October 25, 2027.

At the same time, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published three consultation papers setting out its proposed rules and guidance on regulating certain cryptoasset activities, the admissions and disclosures and market abuse regimes for cryptoassets, and a prudential regime for cryptoasset firms.

In this webinar, the first in a series of three webinars on the new crypto regime, our financial services regulatory experts discuss the scope and impact of the proposed licensing regime and the FCA's consultation paper on regulating cryptoasset activities, as a first step towards planning for implementation of the new regime.

Watch the webinar

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