# FCA

> The UK's Financial Conduct Authority. The regulator that authorises crypto firms in the UK.

Canonical URL: https://business.fudfomo.co/glossary/fca
Source: What The Block! Dictionary v1.0 (last updated 2026-04-25), browsable at https://wtb.fudfomo.co.

## Definition

The Financial Conduct Authority, or FCA, is the regulator for financial services in the United Kingdom. It runs the registration regime for UK crypto firms under anti-money-laundering rules and oversees promotions of crypto assets to consumers.

Firms that want to offer crypto services to UK customers need to either be FCA-registered or rely on a narrow set of exemptions. The FCA also publishes warnings about unregistered firms and high-risk products.

## Regulatory context

The UK's framework for crypto is being expanded beyond AML registration into a fuller authorisation regime over 2025 and 2026.

## Related terms

- [KYC](https://business.fudfomo.co/glossary/kyc): Know Your Customer. The identity checks an exchange runs before letting you trade.
- [AML](https://business.fudfomo.co/glossary/aml): Anti-money laundering. The rules and checks that stop crypto being used to hide the origin of dirty money.
- [MiCA](https://business.fudfomo.co/glossary/mica): The Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation. The European Union's main rulebook for crypto firms.
- [SEC](https://business.fudfomo.co/glossary/sec): The US Securities and Exchange Commission. The American regulator that decides whether a token counts as a security.

## See the full catalogue

What The Block! covers more than 2,000 plain-English crypto terms, delivered as embeddable hover-state tooltips for crypto exchanges. https://wtb.fudfomo.co