UK retail investors will be able to trade crypto ETNs

Crypto derivatives will remain banned for this type of investor

UK to allow retail traders to trade crypto exchange-traded notes

06.06.2025 - 13:45

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2 min

What’s new? The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will allow retail investors to trade crypto exchange-traded notes (ETNs) to promote the growth of the country’s digital asset sector. Previously, only professional investors had access to such products.

Material by CoinDesk

What else is known? Individual traders will be able to trade ETNs on FCA-approved platforms. At the same time, the ban on trading crypto derivatives for retail users will remain in force. The regulator will continue to monitor market developments and review its approach to high-risk investments, the press release says.

The FCA said the UK’s current financial services promotion rules will be applied in a way that ensures consumers are fully informed about the risks without undue incentives to invest.

“We want to rebalance our approach to risk and lifting the ban would allow people to make the choice on whether such a high-risk investment is right for them given they could lose all their money,” said David Geale, executive director of payments and digital assets at the FCA.

UK will launch a new licensing regime for crypto exchanges in 2026

Companies officially operating in the country will have to re-register to offer a wide range of services

In February, Austrian crypto exchange Bitpanda received FCA approval, allowing it to expand its operations in the country.

In April, the world’s largest investment company BlackRock also received permission from the FCA to provide services for trading cryptocurrency assets.

In June, it became known that the British company BCP Technologies was preparing to launch the tGBP stablecoin with a peg to the pound, which is designed to meet the regulatory requirements of the FCA.

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