The Financial Services Regulatory Initiatives Forum (the Forum) has published the Regulatory Initiatives Forum Grid (the Grid), with the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) also updating its webpage. The previous Grid was...more
The UK’s Treasury ("HMT") has set out an Action Plan to ensure that regulation promotes growth and investment. Noting that while regulation has many benefits, the UK’s current stance is hindering its international...more
Digitalisation and the application of key technologies, such as distributed ledger technology (DLT), are reshaping the landscape of global finance. In this report, TheCityUK has collaborated with Hogan Lovells to consider the...more
HM Treasury has published a speech given on November 21, 2024, by Tulip Siddiq, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, on the U.K. government's approach to tokenisation and regulation. In the speech, Ms. Siddiq confirms that HM...more
The consultation paper also includes a discussion chapter about further reform, either now or in the future, to make the rules better suited to the range of U.K. licensed firms and their clients. This includes in...more
The Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Mansion House speech on 14 November 2024 and the National Payments Vision—published on the same day—set out key policy initiatives regarding the future of the UK financial services sector....more
In the UK, 14 million people used “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) at least once in the six months leading up to January 2023. Frequent users were more than four times as likely as other consumers to have missed a payment on a...more
On April 19, 2024, the U.K.'s Joint Regulatory Oversight Committee published proposals on the design of the future entity for UK Open Banking. The JROC is composed of the Financial Conduct Authority, the Payment Systems...more
Amongst the broad range of updates this week, at international level, the FSB published its thematic peer review on MMF Reforms and the BCBS published the outcomes of its meeting held on 28 and 29 February, including that it...more
Following its consultation earlier this year, HM Treasury has published a response to its consultation on the Digital Securities Sandbox, confirming that it will mostly adopt the approach consulted on to establish the DSS....more
Following feedback to their July discussion paper, the U.K. regulators—the Bank of England, Prudential Regulation Authority and Financial Conduct Authority—have launched a joint consultation proposing rules and regulatory...more
HM Treasury has published a consultation response and draft statutory instrument on reforms to the high net worth and sophisticated investor exemptions under the financial promotions regime. The Financial Services and Markets...more
HM Treasury has published a response to its consultation on cryptoasset regulation, setting out its final proposals for the U.K.'s cryptoasset regulatory regime. The U.K. plans to make cryptoassets a new category of...more
HM Treasury has published a Policy Paper on Plans for the Regulation of Fiat-backed Stablecoins, setting out the next steps for the implementation of stablecoin regulation in the U.K. Fiat-backed stablecoins are (under HM...more
HM Treasury has published a response to its consultation on payments regulation and the systemic perimeter. The consultation was prompted by the U.K. government's Payments Landscape Review and HM Treasury's concern that some...more
HM Treasury has published a consultation on the establishment of a financial market infrastructure sandbox, known as the Digital Securities Sandbox. The sandbox will be established using new powers granted by the...more
On 7 June 2023, the U.K. government published a statutory instrument (the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) (Amendment) Order 2023 (FP (Amendment) Order) and related explanatory memorandum)...more
The U.K. government has published its much-anticipated proposals for regulating the cryptoasset industry. These proposals, currently in the form of a consultation, will see many (but not all) cryptoasset-related activities...more
Innovate Finance and Shearman & Sterling has submitted a comprehensive evidence paper to the House of Commons Treasury Committee inquiry into crypto-assets. Analysis produced by Innovate Finance specially for the...more
The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has published a Policy Statement and final rules on improvements to the Appointed Representatives regime. The AR regime allows authorized firms to appoint representatives to conduct...more
HM Treasury has launched an inquiry into the role of crypto-assets in the U.K. and their regulatory framework. The inquiry poses questions on a range of subjects, including the likelihood of digital currencies (e.g.,...more
The U.K. government has published the much anticipated Financial Services and Markets Bill. Following its exit from the EU, the U.K. has undertaken a fundamental review of how financial regulation policy and rules should be...more
The House of Commons Treasury Committee has published a report on the Future of Financial Services Regulation setting out its view on the priorities for regulatory change in the U.K. now that the U.K. has left the EU. The...more
Key developments of interest over the last month include: Queen's Speech 2022 announces forthcoming Financial Services and Markets Bill; European Commission consultations and calls for evidence on PSD2 review and open...more
Following the Queen's speech yesterday, the government has published a briefing pack setting out details of the bills that it intends to introduce, including the so-called Brexit Freedoms Bill as well as key legislation...more