August 20, 2026 · Crypto

FCA Crypto Registration and Authorisation: What the 2026–2027 Transition Means

Introduction

This article explains the documented distinction between FCA crypto registration and authorisation, and sets out the FCA’s published 2026–2027 timetable for the change of regime. The term FCA crypto registration and authorisation is used here to describe two separate regulatory concepts in UK public guidance: the registration process under the Money Laundering Regulations (MLRs) that covers certain crypto-related services for anti‑money‑laundering and counter‑terrorist‑financing (AML/CTF) purposes, and the future Financial Services and Markets Act (FSMA) authorisation framework that will apply to new cryptoasset regulated activities once it commences.

The account that follows is strictly drawn from the public sources identified by the source pack for this article. It summarises institutional roles, dates, scope and limits as set out in the FCA material and the statutory instrument listed in the pack. Every regulatory-status statement below is time‑stamped and linked to the relevant FCA or statutory source cited in the source pack. This text is general information about public statements and regulatory arrangements and is not personalised financial, legal, regulatory, tax, trading or investment advice.

This guide is general public information and is not personalised advice.

FCA crypto registration and authorisation: source-status explanation

This article relies exclusively on the documents and official pages listed in the supplied source pack. The principal primary sources used are the FCA’s public pages titled “Cryptoassets information” and “A new regime for cryptoasset regulation”, the FCA page on “Authorisation, supervision and enforcement”, and the UK statutory instrument titled Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2026. The pack records a research date of 20 August 2026; where the FCA material is cited below each regulatory‑status claim is annotated with that sourcing and link.

Links to the FCA pages and to the Regulations as used in this article are the official texts referenced by the source pack and appear inline where each claim is made. The article does not introduce material from other third‑party summaries or media reports.

In this guide

Overview: registration under the Money Laundering Regulations
The future FSMA authorisation framework for cryptoasset activities
The FCA’s 2026–2027 timeline: key dates and what they represent
Institutional roles: what the FCA’s register covers versus FSMA permission
Which crypto services are subject to MLR registration
Which activities will require FCA authorisation under FSMA
Authorisation, supervision and enforcement in the new regime
The statutory instrument: FSMA (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2026
Interaction and limits: what registration does not equal
What the transition period means in practical terms for public information
Where to check official status and further OGM context

Overview: registration under the Money Laundering Regulations

The FCA’s public guidance explains that firms providing crypto services that fall within the scope of the Money Laundering Regulations are required to register with the FCA for AML/CTF purposes. The FCA describes its register as covering AML/CTF obligations for eligible crypto firms and sets out an application window referenced on its “Cryptoassets information” page. The FCA page provides specific dates for the registration application period and for the expected commencement of the new regime; those dates are summarised in the timeline section below and the FCA page is the primary source for the registration information (FCA, “Cryptoassets information”; source pack research date 20 August 2026: https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/cryptoassets-information).

The framing used by the FCA distinguishes the registration process under the MLRs from the separate authorisation process that will apply under the FSMA-based rules. In its public text about cryptoassets the FCA sets out the register’s AML/CTF purpose and links that register to the application window and the overall timetable for the incoming regime (FCA, “Cryptoassets information”, accessed as recorded in the source pack).

The future FSMA authorisation framework for cryptoasset activities

The FCA’s page titled “A new regime for cryptoasset regulation” sets out the agency’s position that, once the new regime commences, firms providing cryptoasset activities that are regulated under the FSMA amendments will require FCA authorisation and will be subject to FCA supervision. The FCA’s statement identifies 25 October 2027 as the expected commencement date for the new regulatory regime and notes that firms offering new regulated cryptoasset activities will require authorisation and supervision under the FSMA framework (FCA, “A new regime for cryptoasset regulation”; source pack research date 20 August 2026: https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/new-regime-cryptoasset-regulation).

The FCA’s authorisation page further clarifies that firms wanting to provide services covered by the new cryptoasset regulated activities will need to obtain FCA permission under FSMA, and that the final rules and guidance will apply to firms granted FSMA permission on or after the regime commencement date (FCA, “Authorisation, supervision and enforcement”; source pack research date 20 August 2026: https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/new-regime-cryptoasset-regulation/authorisation-supervision-enforcement).

The FCA’s 2026–2027 timeline: key dates and what they represent

The FCA’s “Cryptoassets information” page contains explicit date references tied to the registration and commencement timeline. The dates listed on that page are:

30 September 2026 — identified as the application‑period start for the FCA’s register under the Money Laundering Regulations;
28 February 2027 — identified as the end of that application period; and
25 October 2027 — identified as the expected commencement date for the new FSMA-based cryptoasset regime.

Each of those date statements and the overall timetable are set out in the FCA’s public guidance and are the dates used throughout FCA materials cited in the source pack (FCA, “Cryptoassets information”; source pack research date 20 August 2026: https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/cryptoassets-information). Where this article describes an application window or commencement date it is repeating the FCA’s published dates rather than interpreting or extending them.

Institutional roles: what the FCA’s register covers versus FSMA permission

The FCA’s published material draws a functional distinction between the narrow role the FCA’s register plays for AML/CTF purposes and the broader role the FCA will take when authorising and supervising FSMA-regulated cryptoasset activities. On the register side, the FCA’s publicly stated role is to operate an AML/CTF register for businesses within the scope of the Money Laundering Regulations; the register is framed in FCA material as an AML/CTF supervisory tool (FCA, “Cryptoassets information”; source pack research date 20 August 2026: https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/cryptoassets-information).

Under the FSMA framework, the FCA’s role is described in its public pages as one of authorisation, supervision and enforcement for those specific cryptoasset activities that are brought within FSMA by the statutory instrument. The FCA’s authorisation guidance states that firms seeking to provide regulated cryptoasset activities under FSMA will be required to obtain FCA permission from the point the regime commences, and that the FCA will apply final rules and guidance to FSMA permissions granted on or after the commencement date (FCA, “Authorisation, supervision and enforcement”; source pack research date 20 August 2026: https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/new-regime-cryptoasset-regulation/authorisation-supervision-enforcement).

Which crypto services are subject to MLR registration

The FCA’s “Cryptoassets information” page identifies that firms providing crypto services that fall within the scope of the Money Laundering Regulations must register for AML/CTF oversight. The FCA lists the registration window and describes the register as an AML/CTF tool; those statements form the basis for identifying which businesses are covered by that registration requirement, as set out in FCA material (FCA, “Cryptoassets information”; source pack research date 20 August 2026: https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/cryptoassets-information).

This article does not attempt to list or interpret the full scope of activities that the MLRs reach in every factual permutation. The authoritative source for decisions on whether a specific activity falls within the MLRs is the primary FCA text; the FCA’s page is the public reference for firms and third parties seeking to understand the AML/CTF registration requirement and the listed application window (FCA, “Cryptoassets information”, source pack research date 20 August 2026: https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/cryptoassets-information).

Which activities will require FCA authorisation under FSMA

The FCA’s new‑regime pages indicate that, once the FSMA amendments are in force from the regime commencement date, firms providing cryptoasset activities that are regulated under FSMA will require FCA authorisation and will be subject to FCA supervision. The FCA describes those activities in its public material and states that firms offering such regulated cryptoasset services will need to obtain FSMA permission from the FCA on or after the commencement date (FCA, “A new regime for cryptoasset regulation”; source pack research date 20 August 2026: https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/new-regime-cryptoasset-regulation).

The FCA’s public guidance is the document to consult for the definitive description of the regulated activities that FSMA will cover once the statutory instrument is in force. This article reports the FCA’s position as set out on its public pages; it does not extend those descriptions or make determinations about individual business activities beyond what the FCA’s pages state (FCA, “A new regime for cryptoasset regulation”; source pack research date 20 August 2026: https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/new-regime-cryptoasset-regulation).

Authorisation, supervision and enforcement in the new regime

The FCA’s “Authorisation, supervision and enforcement” page explains the agency’s expectations for firms that seek FSMA permission to carry on regulated cryptoasset activities from the indicated commencement date. The FCA states that firms wishing to carry on such activities will require FCA authorisation and will be subject to the FCA’s supervisory and enforcement arrangements. The page also makes clear that the final rules and guidance will apply to firms that are granted FSMA permission on or after 25 October 2027 (FCA, “Authorisation, supervision and enforcement”; source pack research date 20 August 2026: https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/new-regime-cryptoasset-regulation/authorisation-supervision-enforcement).

That FCA text therefore frames the regulatory boundary between the pre‑commencement AML/CTF register and the post‑commencement FSMA permissioning regime. The FCA’s public materials link the application‑period dates for AML/CTF registration to the regime commencement date and indicate that from commencement onward, FSMA permission will be the relevant legal and regulatory gateway for the specified cryptoasset activities (FCA, “Cryptoassets information” and “Authorisation, supervision and enforcement”; source pack research date 20 August 2026: https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/cryptoassets-information and https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/new-regime-cryptoasset-regulation/authorisation-supervision-enforcement).

The statutory instrument: Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2026

The source pack identifies the statutory instrument titled Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2026 as the Regulations made on 4 February 2026 that bring cryptoassets within the FCA’s regulatory remit. The legislation is the statutory basis by which FSMA is amended to create the new cryptoasset regulated activities and the framework the FCA references in its public guidance. The Regulations text is recorded in the source pack and may be consulted at the UK legislation site (identified in the source pack: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/102/contents/made).

The FCA’s public material on the new regime refers explicitly to the Regulations in describing the legal framework and the expected commencement date for the FSMA-based regime. Where this article refers to the statutory instrument it is drawing on the Regulations as identified in the source pack and on the FCA’s public references to those Regulations (FCA, “A new regime for cryptoasset regulation” and the Regulations text itself; source pack research date 20 August 2026: https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/new-regime-cryptoasset-regulation and https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/102/contents/made).

Interaction and limits: what registration does not equal

The FCA‑published material distinguishes registration for AML/CTF purposes from the FSMA permissioning regime. The FCA’s pages indicate that registration on the FCA’s AML/CTF register is not the same legal status as FSMA authorisation once the FSMA crypto regime commences. The FCA’s public statements treat the two regimes as distinct in purpose and legal effect: one is the AML/CTF register under the MLRs, and the other is an FSMA authorisation and supervision regime for specified cryptoasset activities once those activities are brought into FSMA by the statutory instrument (FCA, “Cryptoassets information” and “A new regime for cryptoasset regulation”; source pack research date 20 August 2026: https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/cryptoassets-information and https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/new-regime-cryptoasset-regulation).

This article does not characterise registration as an endorsement, nor does it treat registration as an FSMA permission. Any statement in FCA material that uses terms such as “register” or “authorisation” is reported here with the FCA source and date; readers should consult the FCA pages listed in the source pack for the definitive wording used by the regulator (FCA, “Cryptoassets information”; source pack research date 20 August 2026: https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/cryptoassets-information).

What the transition period means in practical terms for public information

The FCA’s published timetable establishes a defined application window for AML/CTF registration and an expected commencement date for the FSMA regime. The FCA’s material sets out the dates referenced above (30 September 2026 to 28 February 2027 for the registration application window, and 25 October 2027 for expected commencement) and links those dates to the intended regulatory sequence: an AML/CTF registration period followed by the establishment of an FSMA‑based authorisation and supervision regime at commencement (FCA, “Cryptoassets information” and “A new regime for cryptoasset regulation”; source pack research date 20 August 2026: https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/cryptoassets-information and https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/new-regime-cryptoasset-regulation).

In public statements the FCA frames those dates as milestones for the regulatory sequence rather than describing an open‑ended set of transitional arrangements. The official guidance and the linked statutory instrument in the source pack are the primary places to find the regulator’s own descriptions of how the registration window and the FSMA commencement relate to each other (source pack research date 20 August 2026: https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/cryptoassets-information and https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/102/contents/made).

Where to check official status and further OGM context

For the authoritative regulatory statements cited in this article consult the FCA pages and the statutory instrument listed in the source pack. The principal FCA references are:

FCA — Cryptoassets information (contains the register description and the application‑period dates; source pack research date 20 August 2026).
FCA — A new regime for cryptoasset regulation (sets out the FCA position on the incoming FSMA framework and references the expected commencement date; source pack research date 20 August 2026).
FCA — Authorisation, supervision and enforcement (explains that firms providing new regulated cryptoasset activities will require FCA authorisation and that final rules apply to FSMA permissions granted on or after the stated commencement date; source pack research date 20 August 2026).
Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2026 (the statutory instrument identified in the source pack as made on 4 February 2026).

OGM has previously published contextual pieces that summarise aspects of UK crypto regulatory reform; those contextual pages are available on the OGM site and are provided here for general background reading (internal OGM context links):

Final note on use of this article

This article summarises the FCA’s publicly stated position and the statutory instrument identified in the source pack as of the research date specified in that pack (20 August 2026). All regulatory‑status statements in the text are linked to and framed by the FCA or legislation sources listed above. Readers seeking to verify the current status of any firm or to obtain a definitive legal interpretation should consult the FCA pages and the statutory instrument directly at the links provided.

Introduction: two regulatory tracks in public materials

This article summarises documented UK public information about the distinction the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has set out between two separate regulatory tracks that appear in its materials: (a) registration under the Money Laundering Regulations (MLR) for eligible crypto services in the AML/CTF context, and (b) the future authorisation and supervision regime under the Financial Services and Markets Act (FSMA) arrangements for new cryptoasset regulated activities. All regulatory status statements in this text are time-stamped to the FCA sources cited below. This part of the OneGeneration News coverage focuses on the FCA-published timetable and the legal instruments referenced by the FCA.

What the FCA says about MLR registration and the FCA register

The FCA’s public materials state that firms providing crypto services falling within the scope of the money-laundering regulations are required to register for the purposes of anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorist-financing (AML/CTF) supervision, and that the FCA’s register in this context covers AML/CTF purposes. The FCA page identified as the Cryptoassets information source sets out application dates and the described role of the register for those AML/CTF purposes; the same FCA resource is the primary published reference for the MLR-related registration period and associated dates referenced below (FCA — Cryptoassets information).

What the FCA describes about the future FSMA authorisation regime

Separately, the FCA’s public pages about a new regime for cryptoasset regulation indicate that new cryptoasset regulated activities will, under the future framework, be activities for which firms will require FCA authorisation and supervision. The FCA’s page titled “A new regime for cryptoasset regulation” includes a statement that the future regime is expected to commence on 25 October 2027 and that firms providing newly regulated cryptoasset activities will require authorisation and supervision (FCA — A new regime for cryptoasset regulation). The FCA’s dedicated authorisation, supervision and enforcement page sets out that final rules and guidance will apply to firms granted FSMA permission on or after that date (FCA — Authorisation, supervision and enforcement).

Legal instrument cited by the FCA: the 2026 Regulations

In its published materials the FCA identifies the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2026 as the statutory instrument that brings cryptoassets within the FCA’s regulatory remit; the FCA identifies those Regulations as having been made on 4 February 2026. The Regulations are available on the UK legislation website and are the legislative foundation the FCA cites when setting out its public timetable and scope statements (Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2026).

How the FCA frames the scope difference in public materials

The FCA’s publicly stated position, as reflected across the cited pages, separates two scopes: one scope is the AML/CTF-focused registration route under the Money Laundering Regulations; the other scope is the set of “new cryptoasset regulated activities” that will form part of the FCA’s FSMA-based authorisation and supervision framework. The FCA materials present the MLR registration as a compliance exercise and the FSMA authorisation as a permissions and supervisory exercise. When the FCA’s pages use the phrase “new cryptoasset regulated activities” they are describing the set of activities that will be subject to FSMA permissions and supervision under the new regime (FCA — A new regime for cryptoasset regulation).

Compact comparison table: MLR registration versus FSMA authorisation

Aspect	MLR registration (AML/CTF)	FSMA authorisation (future regime)
Legal basis cited	Money Laundering Regulations as described by the FCA for crypto services (FCA page on Cryptoassets information)	Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 changes as implemented by the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2026 (Regulations 2026) and related FCA rulemaking
Primary regulatory purpose	AML/CTF supervision and registration as described by the FCA (FCA — Cryptoassets information)	Permissions, conduct and prudential supervision under FSMA for newly regulated cryptoasset activities, as described by the FCA (FCA — A new regime for cryptoasset regulation)
Dates explicitly set out in FCA materials	Application period for MLR registration listed as starting 30 September 2026 and ending 28 February 2027; FCA describes the register as covering AML/CTF purposes (FCA — Cryptoassets information)	The FCA states the future regime is expected to commence on 25 October 2027; final rules and guidance will apply to firms granted FSMA permission on or after 25 October 2027 (FCA — A new regime for cryptoasset regulation, FCA — Authorisation, supervision and enforcement)
Register or permission type	FCA register for AML/CTF purposes	FCA FSMA permission (authorisation) and supervised status under FSMA

Neutral timeline and status summary (source-referenced)

The following list is a neutral, source-referenced summary of key dates and status statements that appear in the FCA’s public materials identified in the source pack:

4 February 2026 — The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2026 were made; the FCA cites those Regulations as bringing cryptoassets within its regulatory remit (Regulations 2026).
30 September 2026 — The FCA’s Cryptoassets information page lists this date as the start of the application period for the FCA register used for AML/CTF purposes; the same FCA page lists the end of that application period as 28 February 2027 (FCA — Cryptoassets information).
28 February 2027 — The FCA’s materials list this date as the end of the MLR registration application period referenced on the FCA Cryptoassets information page (FCA — Cryptoassets information).
25 October 2027 — The FCA’s “A new regime for cryptoasset regulation” page states this date as the expected commencement for the incoming FSMA-based regime, and the FCA’s authorisation page confirms that final rules and guidance apply to firms granted FSMA permission on or after this date (FCA — A new regime for cryptoasset regulation, FCA — Authorisation, supervision and enforcement).

Application timing and permission implications in FCA texts

The FCA’s published materials set out separate application timing for the AML/CTF register and an expected commencement date for the future FSMA regime. The FCA’s Cryptoassets information page lists the MLR registration application window as beginning on 30 September 2026 and ending on 28 February 2027, and identifies the FCA register as covering AML/CTF purposes (FCA — Cryptoassets information).

On the FSMA side, the FCA’s pages on the new regime state that the future regime is expected to commence on 25 October 2027, and that activities falling within the new cryptoasset regulated activities will require FCA authorisation and supervision under FSMA. The FCA’s authorisation, supervision and enforcement page indicates that final rules and guidance will apply to firms granted FSMA permission on or after that date (FCA — A new regime for cryptoasset regulation, FCA — Authorisation, supervision and enforcement).

Supervision and enforcement references in the FCA materials

The FCA’s public descriptions separate the AML/CTF registration function from the FSMA permissions and supervision function. For the FSMA track the FCA’s wording includes statements that firms providing new regulated cryptoasset activities will require authorisation and supervision, and the FCA’s authorisation and enforcement page sets out that the final rules and guidance will be applied to FSMA permissions granted on or after the stated commencement date (FCA — Authorisation, supervision and enforcement).

For the MLR/AML context, the FCA’s Cryptoassets information page frames the FCA register as performing an AML/CTF role. That framing in the FCA’s public materials indicates a different statutory and supervisory purpose between the MLR registration exercise and the forthcoming FSMA permissions regime (FCA — Cryptoassets information).

Interpreting the FCA’s public language: registration versus authorisation

In its publicly available pages the FCA uses distinct terminology for the two tracks. The Cryptoassets information page describes registration and the FCA register in AML/CTF terms, while the new-regime and authorisation pages use language connected to FSMA permissions, authorisation and supervision for “new cryptoasset regulated activities.” Readers of these materials will find the FCA’s own pages set out the separate terminology and the dates referenced above (FCA — Cryptoassets information, FCA — A new regime for cryptoasset regulation).

Because the FCA’s public pages apply different legal frameworks and dates to the two tracks, the FCA’s materials present the two arrangements as distinct in purpose and in the statutory instruments that underpin them. The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2026 are the legislative instrument the FCA links to when explaining the FSMA changes that form the basis for the new regime (Regulations 2026).

Observed implications for registrations and permissions as set out publicly

The FCA’s source pages document two separate public processes and dates. The Cryptoassets information page lists an MLR registration application window with start and end dates and describes the role of the FCA register for AML/CTF oversight. The FCA’s new-regime and authorisation pages describe that, under FSMA, firms providing the newly regulated cryptoasset activities will require FCA authorisation and supervision when the incoming regime commences on the date the FCA cites. These statements are presented in the FCA’s public source pages as the factual material used for timelines and statutory implementation referenced above (FCA — Cryptoassets information, FCA — A new regime for cryptoasset regulation, FCA — Authorisation, supervision and enforcement).

Monitoring items and public signposts from the FCA materials

The FCA’s cited public pages and the referenced Regulations provide a set of public signposts. Items that are documented in the FCA’s public materials and legislation referenced in this article include:

The legislative instrument identified by the FCA as bringing cryptoassets within the FCA remit: Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2026 (made 4 February 2026) (Regulations 2026).
The application-window dates for the FCA register described by the FCA as covering AML/CTF purposes: 30 September 2026 (start) and 28 February 2027 (end), as listed on the FCA Cryptoassets information page (FCA — Cryptoassets information).
The FCA’s stated expected commencement date for the incoming FSMA-based regime: 25 October 2027, together with the FCA’s statement that final rules and guidance apply to FSMA permissions granted on or after that date (FCA — A new regime for cryptoasset regulation, FCA — Authorisation, supervision and enforcement).

Terminology: what the FCA pages explicitly state

Readers consulting the FCA pages cited in this article will find that the FCA uses discrete terminology for the two public tracks:

The FCA’s Cryptoassets information page uses the word “register” and frames that register as used for AML/CTF regulatory purposes; the same page lists the MLR registration application period dates (FCA — Cryptoassets information).
The FCA’s new-regime pages use phrases such as “new cryptoasset regulated activities” and indicate that activities within that set will require FCA authorisation and supervision when the FSMA-based regime commences; the FCA’s authorisation page clarifies that final rules and guidance will apply to firms granted FSMA permission on or after the cited commencement date (FCA — A new regime for cryptoasset regulation, FCA — Authorisation, supervision and enforcement).

Documentation and primary sources used for this article

This Part B article is compiled from the FCA pages and the UK statutory instrument listed in the source pack that accompanies this OneGeneration News report. Each regulatory status claim in the sections above is time-stamped and linked to the relevant FCA page or to the cited Regulations as the primary source for that claim. Readers seeking the original phrasing and any future updates should consult the FCA pages and the legislation entry linked in the Sources and further reading section below.

Overview: distinct regulatory pathways recorded by the FCA as of 20 August 2026

As of 20 August 2026, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has set out two separate regulatory pathways that are relevant to certain cryptoasset-related activities in the United Kingdom. One pathway is registration under the UK Money Laundering Regulations for providers of crypto services within the anti‑money‑laundering and counter‑terrorist‑financing (AML/CTF) scope; the FCA describes a public register that covers firms for AML/CTF purposes and cites specific application and commencement dates (FCA — Cryptoassets information). The other pathway is a future regime under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA) in which certain newly regulated cryptoasset activities will be subject to FSMA authorisation and direct supervision; the FCA describes this future regime and states that firms providing those regulated activities will require full authorisation from the FCA under the FSMA framework (FCA — A new regime for cryptoasset regulation and FCA — Authorisation, supervision and enforcement).

The material referenced in this overview is drawn from FCA documents and the statutory instrument identified by the FCA as bringing cryptoassets within the regulator’s remit (Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2026). Time references and the division of responsibilities that follow are described in those sources and are restated here with links to the original FCA or legislative pages in each case.

Registration under the Money Laundering Regulations: statutory purpose and scope

The FCA’s published guidance identifies a registration route that applies where a firm provides crypto services that fall within the scope of the UK Money Laundering Regulations. The FCA describes its public register as covering firms for AML/CTF purposes and notes the relevant application window and commencement dates for that registration activity. The FCA’s information page sets out the application start date of 30 September 2026, the application period end date of 28 February 2027, and an expected commencement date for the new regime of 25 October 2027 (FCA — Cryptoassets information).

Registration under the MLRs, as recorded by the FCA, is framed in the FCA’s material as an AML/CTF measure. The FCA’s register is described as a public record for those purposes on the page identified above (FCA — Cryptoassets information). The FCA’s documents distinguish this registration role from the FSMA authorisation role described elsewhere; statements linking the register to AML/CTF objectives appear on the FCA information page cited above (FCA — Cryptoassets information).

FSMA authorisation under the new regime: legal basis and intended effect

The FCA has set out that a new FSMA-based regulatory regime will apply to specified cryptoasset activities and that firms intending to carry on those regulated activities will require formal authorisation and subsequent supervision under FSMA. The FCA’s explanatory materials state that the future regime is expected to come into effect on 25 October 2027 and that firms providing the newly regulated cryptoasset activities will need FCA authorisation and will be subject to supervision after that date (FCA — A new regime for cryptoasset regulation; FCA — Authorisation, supervision and enforcement).

The statutory instrument identified by the FCA as bringing cryptoassets within the FCA’s regulatory remit is the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2026, which the FCA has identified as made on 4 February 2026 (Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2026). The FCA’s public materials reference that Regulations page when describing the legal change and the consequent FSMA framework for certain cryptoasset activities (FCA — A new regime for cryptoasset regulation).

Authorisation, supervision and enforcement as described by the FCA

In its dedicated page on authorisation, supervision and enforcement, the FCA sets out that firms carrying out activities defined as regulated cryptoasset activities under the new regime will need FCA authorisation. The FCA states that the final rules and guidance will be applicable to firms granted FSMA permission on or after the expected commencement date of 25 October 2027, and that those firms will be subject to the FCA’s supervisory and enforcement arrangements as appropriate under the FSMA framework (FCA — Authorisation, supervision and enforcement).

The FCA’s material distinguishes between permissions granted before the regime’s expected commencement and permissions granted on or after that commencement date when explaining which set of final rules and guidance will apply. The FCA’s page on the topic explains that the final rules and guidance apply to firms that obtain FSMA permissions on or after 25 October 2027 (FCA — Authorisation, supervision and enforcement).

Timeline and key dates referenced in FCA materials

The FCA’s information page identifies several dates relevant to the registration and implementation sequence. The FCA lists an application start date for the registration period of 30 September 2026, an expected application deadline of 28 February 2027, and an anticipated commencement date for the new regime of 25 October 2027 (FCA — Cryptoassets information). Separately, the FCA’s explanatory pages for the new FSMA regime reiterate that the regime is expected on 25 October 2027 and link the future authorisation and supervision arrangements to that commencement date (FCA — A new regime for cryptoasset regulation).

The statutory instrument that the FCA identifies as bringing cryptoassets into the FCA’s remit — the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2026 — is noted in the FCA materials and appears on the UK legislation website as the instrument made on 4 February 2026 (Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2026).

Contrasting scope: what the FCA materials say each pathway covers

The FCA’s published material explains the different policy and statutory purposes attached to the two pathways it describes. The FCA’s cryptoassets information page frames registration under the Money Laundering Regulations as a record used for AML/CTF purposes and gives application and expected dates for that registration window (FCA — Cryptoassets information). By contrast, the FCA describes the FSMA-based regime as one that will regulate particular cryptoasset activities as FSMA regulated activities, with the consequence that firms undertaking those activities will require FCA authorisation and will be subject to supervision and enforcement measures consistent with FSMA (FCA — A new regime for cryptoasset regulation; FCA — Authorisation, supervision and enforcement).

The FCA’s documents, as linked above, do not conflate the two pathways in their statements. The registration record is described on the FCA registration page as serving AML/CTF purposes, whereas the FSMA authorisation pathway is set out on the FCA pages addressing the new regime and authorisation requirements for regulated activities under FSMA (FCA — Cryptoassets information; FCA — A new regime for cryptoasset regulation).

Compact, source‑faithful comparison of FCA registration and FSMA authorisation

The following table summarises, in a compact form and using only the FCA and legislative sources cited in this extension, the different features that the FCA’s documents attribute to the registration route under the Money Laundering Regulations and to the FSMA authorisation route under the new regime.

Comparison of features recorded in FCA materials and the identified legislation
Feature	Registration under the Money Laundering Regulations	FSMA authorisation under the new regime
Primary legal reference cited	FCA — Cryptoassets information	Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2026 and FCA — A new regime for cryptoasset regulation
Described regulatory purpose	Public register for AML/CTF purposes as described on the FCA information page (FCA — Cryptoassets information).	FSMA-based regulation of defined cryptoasset activities requiring FCA authorisation and supervision (FCA — A new regime for cryptoasset regulation).
Timing and key dates referenced	Application period stated to start 30 September 2026 and end 28 February 2027; FCA page also notes an expected commencement date of 25 October 2027 (FCA — Cryptoassets information).	FCA material states the new regime is expected on 25 October 2027 and that final rules and guidance apply to permissions granted on or after that date (FCA — A new regime for cryptoasset regulation; FCA — Authorisation, supervision and enforcement).
Regulatory consequence for firms (as stated)	Inclusion on an AML/CTF register maintained by the FCA for firms providing crypto services within the MLR scope (FCA — Cryptoassets information).	Requirement for FCA authorisation to carry on regulated cryptoasset activities under FSMA, with ongoing supervision and enforcement applied to authorised firms after the regime commences (FCA — A new regime for cryptoasset regulation; FCA — Authorisation, supervision and enforcement).

Limits, status and time‑bound nature of the FCA and legislative sources

The statements summarised in this extension are drawn directly from the FCA’s public pages and the statutory instrument identified by the FCA as relevant to bringing cryptoassets within its remit. Each regulatory description in the FCA materials is presented with specific dates and a context that links registration to AML/CTF record-keeping and the future FSMA regime to authorisation and supervision under statutory powers (FCA — Cryptoassets information; FCA — A new regime for cryptoasset regulation; FCA — Authorisation, supervision and enforcement; Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2026).

The FCA pages used as sources include expected dates and descriptions of future arrangements. The text on those pages expresses the expected commencement date of the new regime as 25 October 2027 and sets out a registration application window that the FCA’s cryptoassets information page records as beginning on 30 September 2026 and ending on 28 February 2027 (FCA — Cryptoassets information). The statutory instrument referenced by the FCA was made on 4 February 2026 according to the legislation.gov.uk entry cited above (Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2026).

Readers should note that the FCA’s text includes time references and that the legal and regulatory positions described in the FCA material are recorded with those dates; this extension reproduces those dates and refers directly to the FCA pages and the legislative instrument named on the FCA pages.

Terminology and labels used by the FCA in its public statements

The FCA’s materials use particular terms to describe each pathway. The registration page refers to a register for AML/CTF purposes and sets out the dates for an application period and the expected implementation timeline (FCA — Cryptoassets information). The FCA’s pages on the new FSMA regime use terms such as “authorisation”, “supervision” and “enforcement” when explaining the FSMA-based treatment of newly regulated cryptoasset activities, and they note the application of final rules and guidance to permissions granted on or after 25 October 2027 (FCA — A new regime for cryptoasset regulation; FCA — Authorisation, supervision and enforcement).

When reformulating or summarising material that originates with the FCA, this extension preserves the FCA’s expressed distinctions between registration (as an AML/CTF public record) and the FSMA authorisation route (for newly regulated activities under FSMA). All such descriptions are linked back to the FCA pages where the terms and dates appear.

Statement on purpose and general information status of this extension

This extension is compiled from the FCA pages and the legislative instrument identified by the FCA and restates the distinctions and dates that those sources provide. It is general information rather than personalised financial, legal, regulatory, tax, trading or investment advice.

Any regulatory status claim in this extension is time‑stamped using the dates indicated on the FCA pages or the legislative instrument and links directly to the relevant FCA or government source. Where the FCA’s pages describe expected future arrangements or expected commencement dates, those expectations and dates are reproduced here with links to the FCA material that records them (FCA — Cryptoassets information; FCA — A new regime for cryptoasset regulation; FCA — Authorisation, supervision and enforcement; Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2026).