Crypto trading platform for UK customers

What the evidence says

The Financial Conduct Authority’s 2025 consumer research, based on a YouGov survey of about 2,300 UK adults with an additional sample of cryptoasset owners, found that 8% of UK adults own cryptoassets, down from 12% in 2024, and that 91% have heard of them. Bitcoin is owned by 57% of owners and Ethereum by 43%, and 73% of owners buy through centralised exchanges. The survey was conducted online, so it may overstate ownership.

The same research shows why the risk summary matters. Two-thirds of owners, 66%, expect no protection or recourse if something goes wrong, and only 13% believe that they would have financial protection. Among people who remembered a cryptoasset advert, only 36% said that it clearly stated the risk. The FCA also found that 9% of owners paid for their cryptoassets by credit card or credit, which is one reason we do not accept credit cards.

UK rules for crypto firms

Today, a firm that offers cryptoasset exchange or custody services in the UK must be registered with the FCA under the Money Laundering Regulations. This is registration for anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorist-financing purposes only. The FCA says that it is not an endorsement, that it does not mean customers are protected by the Financial Ombudsman Service or the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, and that firms must tell customers when those protections do not apply. We are registered on this basis, and we are not authorised by the FCA. You can check any firm on the FCA’s Firm Checker. The FCA’s freedom-of-information release shows how demanding the process is: of 386 applications for registration from 2020 to 2025, 62 were approved and 257 were withdrawn.

Since 8 October 2023, promotions of cryptoassets to UK consumers have also been regulated. A promotion must carry a prominent risk warning, in a border and fixed at the top of the screen on a website, with a link to a risk summary. A customer who asks to receive an offer must wait at least 24 hours before they are invited to continue or leave, and both options must be shown equally. Firms may not offer bonuses, cashback, free gifts or referral rewards, and they must ask about your knowledge and experience and warn you if a product is not appropriate. Retail customers cannot buy cryptoasset derivatives, so any firm that offers you leverage or futures on cryptoassets is not following UK rules.

The new UK regime

The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2026 create new regulated activities: operating a cryptoasset trading platform, safeguarding, dealing as principal or agent, arranging deals, staking and issuing a qualifying stablecoin. Most provisions take effect on 25 October 2027. The FCA published its final rules for most of these areas on 30 June 2026 and its final perimeter guidance on 16 September 2026, and opened an application window that runs from 30 September 2026 to 28 February 2027 for firms that want to keep operating while their application is decided. Some areas, including decentralised finance and cryptoasset derivatives, are still subject to further consultation.

Law-firm summaries of the FCA’s final rules say that firms safeguarding customer cryptoassets will generally have to hold them on trust under the FCA’s client asset rules, that the Consumer Duty will apply in full and that eligible complainants will gain access to the Financial Ombudsman Service. They also say that the Financial Services Compensation Scheme will not be extended to these activities. The existing registration does not convert automatically, so we are preparing our application, and we will tell customers if anything changes. Until the new regime starts, you should assume that you will not have these protections.

Fees and tax

Our fees are 1.00% for instant buy and sell, 0.15% for makers and 0.25% for takers on exchange orders, nothing for pounds by Faster Payments and 2.00% for debit card deposits, with network fees at cost when you withdraw to your own wallet. Published fees at UK platforms vary widely, from about 0.1% to over 1.5% per trade, and instant buy and sell products usually include a spread on top. When you compare platforms, compare the total cost in pounds of the same trade.

For individuals, HMRC treats selling, swapping, spending or gifting cryptoassets as a disposal for Capital Gains Tax. For 2026/27 the annual exempt amount is £3,000, and gains above it are taxed at 18% within the basic rate band of £37,700 and at 24% above it. Disposals are matched with purchases on the same day first, then with purchases in the next 30 days, and the rest are pooled at average cost. You report gains through Self Assessment or HMRC’s real-time service, and you should keep your own records. Since 1 January 2026, UK cryptoasset providers have had to collect your name, address, country of residence and tax identification number, and the first report to HMRC, covering 2026, is due by 31 May 2027. Giving inaccurate details can lead to a penalty of up to £300. Tax rules can change, so check gov.uk or ask a tax adviser.

Custody and security

We keep customer assets in wallets that are separate from our own, record each customer’s entitlement and reconcile balances every day. We apply the Travel Rule, which has required UK cryptoasset businesses since 1 September 2023 to collect, verify and share information about the senders and recipients of transfers. We use two-step sign-in, we check withdrawal addresses and we delay withdrawals to new addresses, and we will never ask for your password or your recovery phrase.

No security measure removes the risk. A platform can fail, be hacked or become insolvent, and you should not expect to be compensated. Be careful with proof-of-reserves reports. They show that certain wallets held certain assets at a point in time, but they do not show a firm’s liabilities, so they are not proof of solvency. We do not publish a percentage of assets held offline, because a percentage without independent evidence tells you little.

Scams and where to get help

In the FCA’s 2025 research, the scams that owners reported most often were fake social media endorsements, fake websites and phishing, and high-return investment schemes. UK Finance reported that investment scam losses were £221.5 million in 2025, up 40% on the year before. Be wary of anyone who promises returns, tells you to act quickly, contacts you out of the blue or asks you to move assets to an address they give you. In April 2026 the FCA’s action against illegal promotions by social media influencers found 1,267 illegal adverts in a single week.

• Check the firm. Use the FCA Firm Checker and Warning List before you send money to any firm.
• Report a scam. Report Fraud, which replaced Action Fraud, is at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, call 101.
• Tell the FCA. The FCA consumer helpline is 0800 111 6768.
• Complain to us first. If you have a complaint about us, write to us, and the Head of Compliance will respond. You can also contact the FCA.

Questions to ask any platform

• Is the firm authorised or only registered, and can I find it on the FCA Firm Checker?
• Will I have protection from the FSCS or the Financial Ombudsman Service, and if not, does the firm say so clearly?
• Where is the risk warning, and does it appear at the top of every page?
• What is the total cost of this trade in pounds, including the spread?
• Are my assets held separately, and how often are they reconciled?
• Does the firm offer bonuses or referral rewards? If so, it is not following the rules.

This guide is general information and is not investment, legal or tax advice. Cryptoassets are high-risk, and you should not invest more than you can afford to lose.