UK to banks: Stop blocking FCA-licensed crypto firms from fair access

UK officials, including those from HM Treasury, have stated that banks must treat crypto service providers fairly, especially those authorized by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), if the UK is to achieve its goal of becoming an international digital assets hub. This statement follows concerns raised by crypto lobbying groups and Coinbase, who accused British banks of imposing blanket restrictions that block millions of customers from accessing legal digital asset services, often without proper risk assessment. The government expects final crypto regulation rules to be confirmed this year. A report by the U.K. Cryptoasset Business Council indicated that most major exchanges found the banking environment became more hostile in 2025. Coinbase's Head of International Policy emphasized that these arbitrary barriers undermine the government's digital finance goals, advocating for access to legitimate, regulated services for compliant firms.

(Source：CoinDesk)