The first half of 2025 brought significant developments in the regulation of digital and cryptoassets in the UK and EU. In this half-year update, we review these and look ahead to likely developments in the UK and EU in the...more
7/9/2025
/ Banking Sector ,
Blockchain ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
EU ,
European Banking Authority (EBA) ,
European Commission ,
European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
FinTech ,
HM Treasury ,
Technology ,
UK
When crafting an entry into the U.S. markets, U.K. and European financial institutions need to carefully plan an appropriate strategy. Sebastian Barling, host of “The Capital Ratio” is joined by financial institutions...more
7/7/2025
/ Banking Sector ,
Banks ,
Cross-Border ,
EU ,
Federal Reserve ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
U.S. Treasury ,
UK
Published concurrently with Consultation Paper 25/14 (CP 25/14) on the proposals for stablecoin issuance and cryptoasset custody in the UK, Consultation Paper 25/15 (CP 25/15) sets out the UK Financial Conduct Authority’s...more
On 20 May 2025, the UK Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) published a policy statement (PS6/25) on business conducted within branches of international banks operating in the UK, as well as its booking model expectations...more
5/28/2025
/ Banking Sector ,
Banks ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Financial Services Industry ,
New Regulations ,
Policy Updates ,
Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Risk Management ,
UK
A welcome wind of regulatory change is noticeable in Germany. On May 20, 2025, the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) published a consultation on a draft ordinance to amend the ownership control ordinance and the...more
On 7 April 2025, the United Kingdom’s HM Treasury opened a consultation (the Consultation) on proposals to streamline the regulatory framework for alternative investment fund managers (AIFMs). Alongside the Consultation, the...more
5/8/2025
/ Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (AIFMD) ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
HM Treasury ,
Investment ,
Investment Funds ,
Investment Management ,
Private Equity ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
UK
Since December 2024, cryptoassets and related services are regulated in the European Union by the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA). Although the regulation provides a comprehensive set of rules for issuers of...more
5/5/2025
/ Blockchain ,
Corporate Governance ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
EU ,
European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
Financial Institutions ,
FinTech ,
Investment Management ,
MiFID II ,
Regulatory Requirements
The first four months of 2025 proved busy for the UK’s financial regulators, with both the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) publishing their strategy and business plan documents. As...more
5/5/2025
/ Anti-Money Laundering ,
Banking Sector ,
Banks ,
Cryptoassets ,
EU ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Insurance Industry ,
Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Risk Management ,
UK ,
White Collar Crimes
We are pleased to present “The Capital Ratio,” a new podcast that explores key regulatory topics impacting the banking and financial sector. In our debut episode, we dive into the key regulatory considerations for U.K. and...more
As the market for stablecoins continues to evolve in sophistication and scale, financial institutions in the UK and EU are increasingly exploring whether and how to engage with them, whether for treasury, payments, settlement...more
3/20/2025
/ Anti-Money Laundering ,
Banking Sector ,
Digital Assets ,
E-Money ,
EU ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Investment Management ,
Popular ,
Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) ,
Risk Management ,
Stablecoins ,
Technology Sector ,
UK
On 11 March 2025, the UK government announced its decision to abolish the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) as part of a broader initiative to reduce regulatory burdens and stimulate economic growth.
This action is intended to...more
3/14/2025
/ Bank of England ,
Banking Sector ,
Competition ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinTech ,
Payment Systems ,
Popular ,
Regulatory Authority ,
Small Business ,
UK ,
UK Payment Systems Regulator
On 25 February 2025, Sarah Pritchard, executive director of consumers, competition, and international at the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), delivered a speech at the Investment Association Roundtable where she outlined...more
3/3/2025
/ Banking Sector ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Hedge Funds ,
Investment ,
Investment Management ,
Market Participants ,
Non-Bank Lenders ,
Private Equity ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Risk Management ,
UK
On 12 February 2025, the UK Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) issued a policy statement on streamlining firm-specific capital communications (the Policy Statement). The statement finalises policy that was the subject of a...more
On 21 January 2025, the UK’s Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) published two supervisory letters outlining 2025 priorities for international banks and UK deposit takers, respectively. In this note, we look at some of the...more
2/3/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Basel III ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
International Banks ,
Lenders ,
Liquidity ,
Non-Bank Lenders ,
Private Equity ,
Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Risk Management ,
UK
Financial services regulators are intensifying their scrutiny of non-financial misconduct (NFM) within the financial services industry.
Related to this, the insurance marketplace Lloyd’s of London published a...more
Financial centres around the world have been hosts to branches and representative offices of international banks since as early as the 19th century. The term “branch” refers to a local establishment of a foreign financial...more
12/11/2024
/ Bank of England ,
Banking Sector ,
Banks ,
EU ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Financial Institutions ,
HSBC ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Silicon Valley ,
UK
In her first comments since the July 2024 UK general election, Economic Secretary to the UK Treasury Tulip Siddiq MP delivered a speech at the Tokenisation Summit on 21 November 2024 that outlined the recently elected UK...more
12/4/2024
/ Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
EU ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinTech ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Stablecoins ,
UK
On November 14, 2024, the UK government unveiled its National Payments Vision (the Vision), a strategy designed to reshape the UK’s payments ecosystem. This Vision responds to the findings of the 2023 Future of Payments...more
11/27/2024
/ Bank of England ,
Banking Sector ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Privacy ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
FinTech ,
HM Treasury ,
Open Banking ,
Payment Systems ,
PRC ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
UK
On 12 September 2024, the UK Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) published the second of two nearly final policy statements (PS9/24) on the implementation of revisions to the Basel 3 standards, known in the UK as Basel 3.1....more
On 21 August 2024, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published Thematic Review TR24/2 (Review), as part of its on-going scrutiny of the general insurance sector, focusing on pricing and value for money provided by...more
This episode of “Fintech Focus” picks up where our last episode “Growing a Workforce in a Regulated Environment” left off. Part Two delves further into workplace considerations for fintechs, and focuses on how they can manage...more
On 11 September 2024, the UK government introduced the Property (Digital Assets etc) Bill, which provides that digital assets can be considered to be personal property under the laws of England and Wales, and could therefore...more
As the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) consider feedback to their consultation on guidance regarding the UK change-in-controller regime (consultation paper 25/23), we provide a...more
9/9/2024
/ Banking Sector ,
Corporate Governance ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinTech ,
Investment Management ,
Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
UK
Solvency II is organised around three core pillars of prudential regulation, which ensure the safety and soundness of (re)insurers, in line with the scale, nature and complexity of their business:
- Pillar One focuses on...more
9/4/2024
/ Capital Requirements ,
EIOPA ,
EU ,
European Banking Authority (EBA) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Insurance Industry ,
ORSA ,
Outsourcing ,
Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Risk Management ,
SMCR ,
Solvency II ,
UK
On 7 August 2024, the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published an update regarding its ongoing assessment of crypto firms’ adherence to the cryptoasset financial promotions rules introduced in October 2023. See our 23...more