UK and EU Crypto Regimes: the Road Ahead in 2026, Compliance Monitor

Partners Steven Lightstone and Hubert de Vauplane co-authored an article for Compliance Monitor examining the state of the United Kingdom and European Union’s crypto asset regimes at the end of 2025 and the regulatory outlook for 2026. The article explains that while the European Union has moved into full operation of the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), the United Kingdom has completed the legislative foundations of its new crypto asset framework, with implementation scheduled for October 2027.

The article outlines how the United Kingdom is integrating crypto assets into its existing Financial Services and Markets Act model, bringing issuance, trading, custody, staking, and related activities within the regulated perimeter, while the European Union is refining MiCA through technical standards and increasingly centralized supervision. The article concludes by examining how these differences are likely to shape compliance planning, entity structuring, and cross-border risk management priorities for firms operating across both markets in 2026.

Read the Compliance Monitor article >>
Subscription may be required.