The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced a timetable for the rollout of the new cryptocurrency regulatory regime, which means an imminent deadline for all crypto asset service providers operating in the UK.

According to the latest FCA announcement, starting this fall, crypto asset service providers (CASPs) interested in operating in the UK market can apply under the new licensing rules. More specifically, the FCA expects to open the application window in September 2026, during which companies can submit authorization requests through the FCA application portal. However, this is only a limited-time window — the new regulations will officially come into effect on October 25, 2027, meaning all companies must complete authorization before then, or face transitional restrictions on new services.

Most notably, crypto companies already registered under anti-money laundering regulations (MLRs) and the payment framework should pay special attention: after the new regime is launched, these existing registrations will not **automatically transfer**. In other words, even if you have completed registration under the old framework with the FCA, you will need to re-authorize under the Financial Services and Markets Act (FSMA) once the new rules are implemented.

For those companies that already hold other FCA regulated business licenses, it is also necessary to adjust existing licenses before the new framework takes effect. This is not optional but a mandatory requirement — all companies providing regulated crypto asset services in the UK must obtain FCA authorization under FSMA.

In simple terms, if your crypto business in the UK has not yet started the authorization process, you need to act by the time the September 2026 window opens, as the October 2027 deadline is just around the corner.