Blockchain.com Secures FCA Registration to Offer Regulated Crypto Services in the UK

Blockchain.com’s registration with the UK Financial Conduct Authority is a concrete step to embed parts of its business in the UK’s regulated framework. The approval permits the firm to provide regulated custody, brokerage and institutional services in the UK, addressing a common barrier for counterparties that require an explicit supervisory relationship. That UK registration sits alongside the company’s existing MiCA clearance for the European Economic Area, giving the firm parallel regulatory footprints across the two largest regional markets. Company management describes the registration as preparatory to applying through the FCA’s forthcoming authorisation gateway; regulators and industry observers currently expect that gateway to open around September 2026, with full authorisation under the permanent regime targeted by 2027. The timing matters: the FCA has also published a final consultation package tightening conduct, custody and transparency rules and set a March 2026 feedback deadline, accelerating near‑term compliance priorities for firms operating in the UK. For Blockchain.com the opportunity is twofold — deepen institutional relationships that demand regulated counterparties, and use UK registration as a marketing and operational lever when negotiating with banking partners and corporates. At the same time, emerging operational frictions in UK banking and payments — notably higher rates of fiat transfer rejections and restrictions cited by industry participants — represent a practical constraint on on‑shore growth unless resolved alongside rule changes. Successful commercialisation will therefore depend on converting regulatory status into reliable banking rails, proportionate custody arrangements and demonstrable enterprise controls. The registration reduces regulatory ambiguity for institutional clients but increases ongoing compliance obligations and supervisory scrutiny. Downside scenarios include changing supervisory expectations, increased cost of compliance that compresses margins, or persistent banking frictions that route flows offshore and blunt UK market development. Observers should watch the company’s gateway application timing, any product launches leveraging the new status, and progress on payments access and bank partner integrations that are necessary to realise the registration’s commercial benefits.