Regulations

Story: UK House of Lords Demands Comprehensive National Digital-Assets Strategy for Treasury

By Maheen Hernandez

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What happened. The amendment covers a lot of ground. Cryptocurrencies, yes, but also stablecoins, central bank…

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The historical context. Other major economies didn't wait around. The EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation — MiCA —…

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Why it matters. The competitive pressure here is real. Businesses that deal in digital assets — exchanges,…

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What to watch. The Lords' third reading of the Financial Services and Markets Bill — dated September 15, 2026 —…

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The vote wasn't close. The UK House of Lords passed an amendment 194-138 demanding the Treasury build a full national strategy for digital assets — not a partial fix, not another…

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The amendment covers a lot of ground. Cryptocurrencies, yes, but also stablecoins, central bank digital currencies, and tokenized securities.

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The amendment's scope is probably the most striking part. It's essentially telling the Treasury: you can't keep treating each piece of digital finance as a separate problem.

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The UK has been watching all of this. And it's been moving — just not in a straight line. The Financial Conduct Authority has already put rules in place for a new cryptoasset…

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Related: Ripple CEO Urges Senate to Advance Compromised CLARITY Act Amid Bipartisan Support

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There's also something else going on in the background. The UK government has been looking at giving the Bank of England a new mandate around payments innovation — something that…

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The competitive pressure here is real. Businesses that deal in digital assets — exchanges, tokenization platforms, stablecoin issuers — need to know what the rules are before…

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The Lords' amendment puts a name to that risk. By demanding a strategy that's holistic rather than sectoral, it's pushing the Treasury to think about the UK's position in the…

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The focus on banking and payment access is also worth noting. It's a signal that the amendment isn't purely about asset regulation — it's about what happens to the broader…

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See also: Symbiosis Hacker Mints $46 Billion in Fake syBTC, Walks Away With $336K

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The Lords' third reading of the Financial Services and Markets Bill — dated September 15, 2026 — could bring further revisions or new amendments that shift the bill's direction…

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