- The UK Treasury is implementing more rigorous regulations for cryptocurrency businesses, regardless of their location, in an effort to ensure transparency and protect consumers.
- Treasury Secretary Andrew Griffith urges the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to provide precise guidance to cryptocurrency companies to comply with the new requirements.
- The regulations seek to level the playing field and prevent deceptive advertising practices, with financial penalties and prison terms for those who do not comply.
In order to protect consumers and ensure transparency in the cryptocurrency market, the UK Treasury has implemented stricter regulations affecting all cryptocurrency companies operating in the country, regardless of their geographical location.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the entity responsible for supervising compliance with these regulations, which came into force on October 8 as we reported on islaBit.
Although these measures have created some uncertainty in the industry, their goal is clear: to ensure that cryptocurrency companies maintain a high level of transparency and provide accurate information to consumers.
Concern over cryptocurrency advertising in the UK
UK Treasury Secretary Andrew Griffith has raised concerns about the lack of clarity around how to meet local requirements on advertising and transparency. This concern led him to urge the FCA to provide more precise guidance to cryptocurrency companies.
In a letter to FCA chief Nikhil Rathi, Griffith called for the regulator to show “tolerance” towards these firms, as many of them may not be aware that their global operations could be subject to regulation in the United Kingdom.
However, the FCA has made it clear that no changes to its stance regarding the regulation of cryptocurrency advertising in the UK have been communicated.
These regulations require all cryptocurrency companies, even those based abroad, to comply with stricter regulations when it comes to advertising and transparency. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in unlimited financial penalties or even prison sentences of up to two years.
Purpose of these measures
The main purpose is to level the playing field for all businesses and protect UK consumers from misleading advertising practices.
Previously, the FCA had warned of the serious consequences that companies involved in illegally promoting cryptocurrencies to UK consumers would face, including substantial unlimited fines and prison sentences of up to two years.