The article argues that by 2026, UK payments and crypto firms will face a tougher, more joined-up regulatory regime where safeguarding, governance and execution capability, not regulatory ambiguity - become the decisive factors for sustainable growth.
By 2026, FCA supervision for UK payments firms will be less about policy and more about proof. The focus is on governance, control effectiveness and evidenced outcomes, with limited tolerance for growth that outpaces risk management and operational resilience.
UK payments and e-money firms face a new reality: disciplined scalability, stronger governance, tighter economics and smarter product investment.