The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has recently announced its intention to recover the equivalent of $8 million in costs related to the supervision of stablecoins and cryptocurrencies. The funds will be collected in the form of fees imposed on stablecoin issuers and digital asset custodians. The FCA specifically aims to recover £6.2 million ($7.9 million) for new stablecoin regulations and a broader regime, in addition to £0.2 million ($254,400) for expanding the financial promotions perimeter, all falling under the category of “cryptoassets.” The total amount to be recovered sums up to £6.4 million ($8.1 million), which will contribute to the FCA’s annual funding requirement of £755 million ($960 million).
Regulatory Goals and Business Plan
The recovery of costs is part of the FCA’s 12-month business plan, which outlines various regulatory objectives for the UK market. Alongside supervisory activities related to stablecoins and cryptocurrencies, the FCA plans to establish a proportionate market abuse regime for digital assets. Moreover, the agency will continue its efforts to monitor and enforce the crypto financial promotions regime. The broader business plan encompasses a wide range of initiatives, including the regulation of digital markets and an assessment of the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on financial markets.
Context and Previous Developments
The FCA’s pursuit of new regulations for stablecoins and cryptoassets appears to have originated in November 2023. These regulations build upon existing rules implemented in 2016 to address insider trading, unlawful disclosure, and market manipulation, originally not tailored to the crypto sector. The consideration of extending market abuse rules to cryptocurrencies dates back to February 2023, reflecting the evolving regulatory landscape in the UK. The financial promotions regime, which was extended to cover the crypto sector in October 2023, has presented compliance challenges for some crypto firms operating in the UK, leading to market exits and warnings issued by the FCA to other players.
The FCA’s initiative to recover costs associated with supervising stablecoins and cryptocurrencies underscores the regulatory focus on the rapidly growing digital asset market. By imposing fees on industry participants, the FCA aims to ensure adequate oversight while maintaining a sustainable funding model for its regulatory activities. As the regulatory environment continues to evolve, market participants will need to closely monitor developments and adapt to new compliance requirements to navigate the changing landscape of crypto regulation in the UK.
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