The Case for Crypto Compliance
Market Access
Regulated status opens doors to institutional clients, banking relationships, and larger markets.
Trust & Credibility
Demonstrate commitment to best practices and build trust with users and partners.
Future-Proofing
Get ahead of regulations rather than scrambling to catch up when enforcement increases.
Competitive Advantage
Stand out in a crowded market where many competitors remain unregulated.
Regulatory Landscape by Jurisdiction
Deep expertise in crypto regulations across key financial centres
United Kingdom
Digital Securities Sandbox (DSS)
Testing ground for DLT-based financial market infrastructure
- Sandbox Approval Notice (SAN) required
- Covers trading platforms, settlement, custody
- Distributed ledger technology focus
- Runs until January 2029
FCA Crypto Registration
Anti-money laundering registration for crypto asset businesses
- MLR 2017 compliance required
- Approximately 15% approval rate
- Comprehensive AML/KYC frameworks
- Financial promotions regime
Financial Promotions
Strict rules on marketing crypto assets to UK consumers
- Risk warnings mandatory
- Cooling-off periods
- Ban on incentives to invest
- Clear and fair communications
Challenges
- Low approval rate for crypto registration
- Strict financial promotions regime
- No EU passporting post-Brexit
Opportunities
- DSS provides regulatory sandbox
- Clear regulatory framework
- Strong rule of law
European Union
Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA)
Comprehensive EU-wide crypto asset regulation
- CASP (Crypto Asset Service Provider) licensing
- Asset-Referenced Token (ART) rules
- E-Money Token (EMT) requirements
- Whitepaper obligations
DORA
Digital Operational Resilience Act for financial entities
- ICT risk management framework
- Incident reporting requirements
- Third-party risk management
- Resilience testing
Transfer of Funds Regulation
Travel Rule implementation for crypto transfers
- Originator and beneficiary information
- Applies to CASPs
- No de minimis threshold
- Effective from December 2024
Challenges
- Complex multi-member state coordination
- Varying national interpretations
- Significant compliance costs
Opportunities
- EU-wide passporting with single license
- Clear regulatory certainty
- 27-country market access
United Arab Emirates
VARA (Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority)
Dubai's dedicated virtual asset regulator
- Seven activity types licensed
- Comprehensive rulebook
- Marketing and promotion rules
- Custody and exchange requirements
DFSA (DIFC)
Dubai International Financial Centre regime
- Investment Token framework
- Recognised Crypto Token regime
- Clear classification framework
- International standards aligned
FSRA (ADGM)
Abu Dhabi Global Market framework
- Virtual Asset Framework
- Spot and derivatives
- Custody services
- MLT (Multilateral Trading Facility)
Challenges
- Multiple regulators in one country
- Evolving requirements
- Substance requirements
Opportunities
- Most progressive crypto jurisdiction
- 0% corporate tax
- Government support for Web3
- Global hub positioning
United States
Securities Laws
SEC jurisdiction over crypto securities
- Howey Test for securities classification
- Registration or exemption required
- Enforcement-driven regulation
- Broker-dealer requirements
Commodities Regulation
CFTC jurisdiction over crypto commodities
- Bitcoin and Ether as commodities
- Derivatives regulation
- DCM and SEF requirements
- Anti-fraud authority
State Money Transmission
State-by-state licensing requirements
- 48 states with different requirements
- BitLicense in New York
- Surety bond requirements
- Multi-year compliance journey
Challenges
- Regulatory uncertainty
- Multi-agency jurisdiction
- State-by-state licensing
- Enforcement-first approach
Opportunities
- Largest market globally
- Deep capital markets
- Clear SEC/CFTC boundary emerging
Crypto Compliance Services
End-to-end support for your crypto regulatory journey
License Applications
End-to-end support for VARA, MiCA CASP, FCA registration, and other crypto licenses.
- Application preparation
- Documentation review
- Regulator liaison
- Post-approval support
AML/KYC Frameworks
Crypto-specific anti-money laundering programmes meeting regulatory expectations.
- Risk assessment
- Policy development
- Transaction monitoring
- SAR filing procedures
Regulatory Mapping
Understand which regulations apply to your crypto business across jurisdictions.
- Token classification
- Activity mapping
- Jurisdiction analysis
- Gap identification
Custody & Wallet
Secure custody arrangements and wallet management policies for digital assets.
- Custody frameworks
- Key management
- Insurance requirements
- Segregation policies
Travel Rule Compliance
FATF Travel Rule implementation for crypto asset transfers.
- VASP identification
- Data sharing protocols
- Technology solutions
- Compliance monitoring
Risk Frameworks
Enterprise risk management tailored for crypto operations.
- Market risk
- Counterparty risk
- Operational risk
- Smart contract risk