The timeline, per the FCA.
The UK is moving cryptoasset activity from the financial-promotions perimeter into a full authorisation regime. The FCA has set out a staged calendar; the dates below are the FCA’s stated milestones, restated here for planning. Confirm the current position with the FCA before you act on any of them.
| Date (per FCA) | Milestone | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| 4 February 2026 | Roadmap / policy position set out | The staged plan for the UK cryptoasset regime was made public, giving firms the shape of what was coming. |
| ~1 July 2026 | Core UK cryptoasset rules finalised | The FCA finalised the core rules, turning the roadmap into the standard firms will be assessed against. |
| July 2026 (now) | Free pre-application meetings open | Prospective applicants can request a free meeting with the FCA via Connect to discuss their application before the window opens. |
| 30 September 2026 | Authorisation application window opens | The FCA begins accepting formal authorisation applications for cryptoasset firms. |
| 28 February 2027 | Application window closes | The stated closing date for applications in this window — the planning deadline to have a submission ready. |
| 25 October 2027 | Full regime in force | The full UK cryptoasset regime is stated to take effect; authorisation becomes the operating requirement. |
These are the FCA’s stated dates and can change. This is general information for planning, not legal advice, and not a determination of your firm’s status or eligibility. Confirm every milestone and requirement directly with the FCA.
What still applies now — the promotions regime hasn’t paused.
The authorisation timeline is about who may operate. It does not switch off the rules that already govern how you market. Both run in parallel, and the promotions regime is the one that bites today.
Since 8 October 2023, any financial promotion of qualifying cryptoassets that reaches UK consumers must use one of the lawful Section 21 routes and carry the prescribed risk warning, the 24-hour cooling-off period, the personalised risk warning and appropriateness assessment, with the incentives ban in force. None of that waits for the 2027 regime.
The FCA’s February 2026 action involving HTX is the working example that the promotions regime reaches overseas firms whose promotions land in front of UK consumers — being outside the UK is not, by itself, being outside the regime. The authorisation window does not change that exposure in the meantime.
One clock is the authorisation window (pre-app now, apply 30 Sep 2026 – 28 Feb 2027, regime 25 Oct 2027). The other clock — the financial-promotions regime — has been running since October 2023 and is unaffected. A firm can be mid-application and still get a promotions finding today.
The pre-application meeting, briefly.
Per the FCA, pre-application meetings opened in July 2026 and are free, booked through the FCA’s Connect system. They are a chance to talk through a prospective application with the FCA before the formal window opens on 30 September 2026.
It is an early conversation to test-fit your plan, scope, and readiness against the finalised rules. It is not the application, not an approval, and not a substitute for meeting the standard when you apply. Treat it as free calibration, then close the gaps it surfaces before 30 September. Confirm booking and eligibility with the FCA.
If you market a crypto service to UK consumers, prepare on both clocks.
The most common own-goal in this window is a promotion that trips the live regime while the firm is focused on the authorisation application. Check your UK-facing assets against the FCA promotions rules before they ship — the routes below start there.
| If you are… | The immediate move | Start here |
|---|---|---|
| Unsure whether a UK-facing asset passes A banner, landing page, email, or social post reaching UK consumers. |
Paste the copy or URL and get a verdict against the FCA cryptoasset promotions rules in seconds. | Free FCA check → |
| Preparing a submission and want your marketing airtight Multiple assets, an onboarding funnel, ongoing campaigns. |
Self-serve the full FCA, MiCA, and GDPR Pro rule packs and audit every asset before it ships. | Self-Audit Suite → |
| Facing the window with a whole market entry to de-risk A UK launch, a re-entry, or a high-stakes application. |
A signed, whole-asset-set review across your UK marketing against the FCA regime (plus MiCA/GDPR) in five business days. | Launch Audit → |
Related rules.
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The perimeter every UK crypto promotion sits behind — who may lawfully communicate one, and why it is the live rule during the authorisation window.
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The exact wording and prominence requirements the FCA examiners start at — unchanged by the authorisation timeline.
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How shirts, stadium boards, and ambassador posts can cross the Section 21 perimeter — a live exposure while you apply.
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Why refer-a-friend and sign-up bonuses are banned in the UK cryptoasset perimeter — the fintech-playbook trap for growth teams.
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Section 21, the risk warning, cooling-off, appropriateness, and the incentives ban — quoted and explained.
Confirm with the FCA — not legal advice. This page is general, educational information for UK-facing crypto firms and marketing teams, not legal advice and not a determination of your firm’s status, eligibility, or application outcome. The dates stated — the ~1 July 2026 finalised rules, July 2026 pre-application meetings, the 30 September 2026 to 28 February 2027 application window, and the 25 October 2027 regime start — are the FCA’s stated milestones at a point in time and can change. Confirm every date, requirement, and eligibility question directly with the FCA, and consult qualified counsel for your situation. As of 12 July 2026.