Compliance Matters: Week ending 4th April 2026

Easter has been and gone, the new tax year is upon us.  Here us this week’s food for thought.  Short this week, but with all the detail in the hotlinks.

• The FCA: becoming a smarter regulator

• New cryptoasset regime

• Riders On The Storm – oil, geopolitics, and unpredictable weather

The FCA: becoming a smarter regulator

The FCA published its March FCA Insights newsletter via LinkedIn .

The regulator highlights that in 2026 it will continue its ongoing work to be a smarter, more data‑driven regulator, helping it identify risks earlier, make faster decisions, and reduce unnecessary burdens on firms.  It goes on to discuss how it will make authorisation clearer and more proportionate.

Under the heading of ‘Presenting our regulatory priorities’ the FCA confirms its priorities and expectation for firms in respect of insurance, consumer investments, and pensions.

The message is that data from firms will drive the FCA’s activity and that the Consumer Duty will be at the centre of supervision.

New UK cryptoasset regime

The UK is introducing a new financial services regulatory regime for cryptoassets, which will take effect on 25 October 2027.  The FCA has confirmed that the authorisation gateway under FSMA 2000 will open for cryptoasset firms on 30 September 2026 and close on 28 February 2027. 

The Cryptoasset Regulations were made on 4 February 2026, establishing the UK’s framework for regulating cryptoassets.  They come into force fully on 25 October 2027, with an initial earlier commencement date of 26 February 2026 to allow the FCA to make rules, issue guidance, and begin preparatory work, including determining authorisation and variation of permission applications.  Herbert Smith Freehills have published a useful summary.

Cryptoassets are entering the mainstream as an asset class, we need to discuss how we position them in a client’s portfolio (if at all).  We may decide to document that we believe they are too risky for our target market.

Riders On The Storm – oil, geopolitics, and unpredictable weather

I receive updates from Marlborough Group.  This week’s looked at the current situation regarding oil prices and their impact.  Rather than copying and pasting sections, the update is here.