regulatory
FCA cryptoasset authorisation gateway opens
Cryptoasset firms must seek FCA authorisation ahead of the UK regime going live in October 2027.
Intelligence · United Kingdom
United Kingdom — Law, Policy & Sentiment
Who supervises and interprets fintech, crypto and AML-CTF in the UK — the financial regulators, the financial-intelligence and enforcement bodies, the professional-body AML supervisors, and the courts — and what has moved.
Markers sit at each body's headquarters; London bodies are spread for legibility. The full directory is below.
What changed
regulatory
FCA to become the single professional-services AML supervisor
OPBAS and the professional-body supervisors' AML role transfers to the FCA, phased from 2027.
Authorities
Financial & sector supervisors
Financial Conduct Authority
FCAConduct regulator for ~42,000 firms; AML supervisor; the cryptoasset authorisation & financial-promotions regime; hosts OPBAS.
Official site ↗Prudential Regulation Authority / Bank of England
PRAPrudential supervisor of banks and insurers; systemic-stablecoin regime (with the FCA); digital-pound work.
Official site ↗Payment Systems Regulator
PSRPayments-systems regulator (being consolidated into the FCA).
Official site ↗Gambling Commission
UKGCLicenses gambling operators; AML/CTF supervision of the gambling sector.
Official site ↗Financial intelligence & enforcement
UK Financial Intelligence Unit
UKFIUThe UK FIU (in the NCA): receives and analyses Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs).
Official site ↗National Crime Agency
NCALead agency on money laundering and organised financial crime; hosts the UKFIU and the National Economic Crime Centre.
Official site ↗Serious Fraud Office
SFOInvestigates & prosecutes complex fraud, bribery and corruption; DPAs; crypto-asset seizure.
Official site ↗Crown Prosecution Service
CPSProsecutes money laundering and financial crime; asset recovery.
Official site ↗HM Revenue & Customs
HMRCTax-fraud investigator; AML supervisor for certain sectors (transitioning to the FCA); crypto tax reporting (CARF).
Official site ↗City of London Police
CoLPNational lead force for fraud (Action Fraud / Report Fraud); economic-crime investigation.
Official site ↗Treasury, sanctions & registry
Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation
OFSIAdministers and enforces UK financial sanctions (part of HM Treasury); the UK Sanctions List.
Official site ↗HM Treasury
HMTSets AML-CTF, fintech, crypto and payments policy; sponsors the FCA/PRA regime and the Economic Crime Plan.
Official site ↗Companies House
CHCorporate registry; beneficial-ownership transparency and identity verification (post-ECCTA).
Official site ↗Professional-body AML supervisors
Office for Professional Body AML Supervision
OPBASOversees the legal & accountancy professional-body AML supervisors (at the FCA; a single-supervisor reform is planned).
Official site ↗Solicitors Regulation Authority
SRAAML supervision of law firms in England & Wales.
Official site ↗Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales
ICAEWAML supervision of chartered accountants.
Official site ↗Association of Chartered Certified Accountants
ACCAAML supervision of ACCA members.
Official site ↗Law Society of Scotland
LSSAML supervision of Scottish law firms.
Official site ↗Bar Standards Board
BSBAML supervision of barristers in England & Wales.
Official site ↗Law Society of Northern Ireland
LSNIAML supervision of NI law firms.
Official site ↗Data, redress & oversight
Information Commissioner's Office
ICOUK GDPR/DPA regulator; the data-protection ↔ AML interface.
Official site ↗Financial Ombudsman Service
FOSConsumer dispute resolution; publishes crypto-scam and fraud complaint trends.
Official site ↗Parliament & courts
House of Commons Treasury Committee
TSCScrutinises the Treasury, FCA, PRA and crypto policy.
Official site ↗Courts of England & Wales
E&W CourtsInterpret the Proceeds of Crime Act, ECCTA and crypto-as-property; sanction DPAs.
Official site ↗