Preparing for Crypto Compliance webinar Write-up
On Thursday 21 May, the Northern fintech community came together for an informative webinar on preparing for crypto compliance, hosted by rebuildingsociety.com in partnership with CMS. The session welcomed 30 virtual attendees, who also took part in an engaging Q&A with the speakers.
Joe Roche, FinTech North’s General Manager, opened the session with a welcome to attendees and an update on FinTech North’s upcoming activity and growing community.
Katharine Wooller, Chief Strategist, Banking & Financial Services at Softcat, Chair of the Association for AI in Financial Services, and crypto subject matter expert, then provided a scene-setting overview of the evolving crypto landscape. She reflected on the growth of crypto from a niche area into one increasingly intertwined with traditional financial services, with developments such as stablecoins and tokenisation becoming part of wider financial infrastructure. Katharine also discussed the increasing focus on regulation as the sector continues to mature.
Sam Robinson, Partner at CMS, followed with an overview of the UK’s evolving regulatory framework for digital assets. He outlined how the current regime can be complex and fragmented, before explaining the FCA’s proposed roadmap for a more streamlined and fit-for-purpose framework. Sam covered the activities and products expected to fall within scope, including stablecoins, and highlighted the introduction of a structured regime for public cryptoasset offerings in the UK. He also shared practical considerations for firms preparing for the changes, including assessing whether they fall within scope, preparing FCA authorisation applications, and reviewing internal policies and governance processes.
Daniel Rajkumar, CEO of rebuildingsociety.com, then shared insight into the firm’s authorisation support services for Qualifying Cryptoasset Firms. Drawing on rebuildingsociety.com’s own experience navigating the FCA’s S21 gateway process, he outlined the importance of robust governance, risk management, competency frameworks, and operational processes in meeting regulatory expectations. Daniel also highlighted the upcoming timeline for implementation, with the FCA application gateway opening in September 2026 ahead of the new regulations coming into force in October 2027, stressing the importance of firms preparing early.
Thank you to everyone who attended the session, as well as to our speakers and sponsors, rebuildingsociety.com and CMS.
For more information or opportunities to collaborate, please contact FinTech North at info@fintechnorth.uk.
