The FCA has finalised the changes that were proposed in May this year to make it easier for customers to engage with mortgage providers and make reductions to mortgage terms and remortgaging easier. This includes removing the...more
Key developments of interest over the last month include: the UK government's communications in connection with the Chancellor's annual Mansion House speech, and the launch of its Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness...more
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has delivered her second Mansion House speech and announced the “Leeds Reforms” in conjunction with publication of the awaited Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy and related...more
Following the FCA’s May 2025 ‘first steps’ consultation on proposals to simplify its mortgage framework via a Mortgage Rule Review (MRR), it has now published a discussion paper on the future of the mortgage market. The...more
On 6 June 2025, the FCA announced in a press release its proposal to lift the ban on selling crypto exchange traded notes (cETNs) to retail investors. If adopted, cETNs could be made available to individuals, provided the...more
As with the European Parliament’s April 2024 adopted texts, the Council of the EU’s proposed amendments to the European Commission’s June 2023 legislative proposals touch on some significant areas of interest for payment...more
Key developments of interest over the last month include: draft legislation to regulate BNPL credit in the UK (in contrast to the de-prioritising of enforcement of BNPL regulatory breaches in the US); final confirmation of UK...more
5/22/2025
/ Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) ,
CFTC ,
Cryptoassets ,
Digital Assets ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
HM Treasury ,
Payment Systems ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Stablecoins ,
UK
Following a March 2025 press release and letter to the Economic Secretary to the Treasury announcing plans to improve access to mortgages to support the government’s economic growth mission, the FCA has published a ‘first...more
While recent announcements have focussed on the government’s growth agenda, HM Treasury (HMT) has also now pressed ahead with publishing final draft regulations limiting the rights for banks and other payment service...more
Key developments of interest over the last month include: the Central Bank of Somalia announcing the launch of the Somalia Instant Payment System (SIPS), the country’s first nationwide instant payments infrastructure; the...more
4/28/2025
/ Australia ,
Blockchain ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
EU ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
FinTech ,
Payment Systems ,
Popular ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
UK
Numerous jurisdictions across the globe are developing their own cryptoasset regulatory frameworks—the UK is no exception. Cryptoasset businesses overseas looking to enter the UK market, or to offer services to customers in...more
Outcomes testing and monitoring under the Consumer Duty, and senior management engagement with these areas, remain key focus areas for the FCA. Whilst the review in question focuses specifically on the treatment of customers...more
The Single Rulebook is intended to be a single source of AML/CTF regulation that will be applied uniformly in all member states across the EU. This will be achieved primarily through the new AML Regulation, which will be...more
4/15/2025
/ AML/CFT ,
Anti-Money Laundering ,
Beneficial Owner ,
Cryptocurrency ,
EU ,
Financial Crimes ,
Financial Institutions ,
Money Laundering ,
New Regulations ,
Popular ,
Regulatory Reform
Following feedback to its July 2024 Call for Input (CfI) on placing greater reliance on the Consumer Duty instead of specific rules and guidance, the FCA won’t be carrying out a wholesale Handbook review. It has instead...more
Key developments of interest over the last month include: the UK government publishing a pro-growth Action Plan for regulators and regulation, including pledges from the FCA of relevance to payments and digital assets firms;...more
3/25/2025
/ BaFin ,
Blockchain ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
FinTech ,
HM Treasury ,
Popular ,
Regulatory Reform ,
UK
Key developments of interest over the last month include: a new Bill containing detailed new information and account direct deduction obligations for banks and EMIs being introduced to the UK Parliament; the issuing of a...more
As the evolution of payments continues at a rapid pace it is important that industry participants are up to date on the regulatory developments supporting and guiding these developments. This publication outlines the key...more
In our previous Comparative Guide, we explored innovations in private forms of digital money and money-like instruments available to retail customers, including fiatreferencing stablecoins, e-money and tokenised deposits. As...more
Key developments of interest over the last month include: the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau publishing a final rule on federal supervision of Big Tech and other widely used digital payment apps; the UK FCA...more
Key developments of interest over the last month include: the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer makes her first Mansion House speech and HM Treasury publishes the National Payments Vision, indicating a focus on economic growth...more
The FCA believes that there is a continuing problem with poor safeguarding practices across the industry due to poor implementation of the current regulatory framework under the Payment Services Regulations 2017 (PSRs) and...more
Key developments of interest over the last month include: the UK FCA publishing a consultation on two-stage reforms to the payments and e-money safeguarding regime; the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announcing a...more
Given the sea change of payment services directive 2015/2366 (“PSD2”), one might expect the prospect of the proposed PSD3 and PSR to have psps groaning at the thought of yet more root and branch reg change projects. However,...more
Key developments of interest over the last month include: the UK Payment Systems Regulator publishing a policy statement on directing APP scams reimbursement for CHAPS payments and final guidance on distinguishing between APP...more
The FCA has published a report setting out its findings from follow-up work on payment account access and closures, together with the results of independent research on the experiences some of the most financially excluded...more