In brief
- Blockchain.com has received FCA registration for UK crypto brokerage, custody, and institutional services.
- The approval follows 2025 MiCA licensing, positioning the firm across European and UK markets.
- Founded in York in 2011, the crypto exchange has processed $1.2 trillion in transactions serving 90 million wallets.
Crypto exchange Blockchain.com has secured registration with UK regulator the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), enabling it to offer crypto services to customers there.
Blockchain.com can now provide brokerage, custody, and institutional services under one of the world’s strictest regulatory frameworks. For users, this means more protection and oversight of their funds.
Founded in the UK in 2011, Blockchain.com has processed over $1.2 trillion in crypto transactions and served 90 million wallets globally. The company started in York before moving to London, with the firm’s CEO Peter Smith noting in a press release that, “We’ve been part of the UK’s tech landscape for over a decade.”
The company also recently secured conditional approval for a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license from the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA), a company spokesperson told Decrypt in an email.
“Securing this registration today puts us under active oversight immediately,” Smith said in a employee email that was shared with Decrypt. “Instead of waiting for legislation, Blockchain.com is now operating under the same rigorous standards as traditional finance and banks in the UK.”
The UK registration follows Blockchain.com’s MiCA license last year, which allows operations across all 30 European Economic Area countries. Together, these approvals position the company to serve major regulated markets.
The FCA and crypto regulation
The timing is strategic, with the UK developing a comprehensive crypto regulatory regime set to launch in 2027. Blockchain.com plans to apply for full authorization when applications open later this year, the company said.
The firm is also rumored to be eyeing going public in the U.S. through a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC. SPACs register their shares with the Securities and Exchange Commission to raise money and hunt for a target company. When one is identified, the SPAC takes the company public by acquiring it.
If it does make it to a listing, it will be the latest in a handful of companies that have gone public since 2025, including USDC issuer Circle, crypto exchange Bullish, and crypto friendly trading platform eToro.
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