The UK is making new pitches to become a global cryptocurrency hub, but given the criticism from local entrepreneurs and competition from the US, the road to achieving this ambition is fraught with obstacles.

The UK Labour government has committed to providing a favorable environment for businesses engaged in cryptocurrency and blockchain-related activities.

In a recent speech, UK Economic Secretary Tulip Siddiq stated that the government aims to collaborate with companies on draft legal terms for digital assets, including stablecoins (tokens pegged to the value of sovereign currencies), "early next year."

She also mentioned that the government will not consider crypto staking services (which provide rewards for tokens held by users) as collective investment schemes. Insiders in the crypto industry had expressed concerns that such a treatment would lead to cumbersome regulatory requirements.

"This is an industry with enormous potential, and it is playing a central role in the vibrant tech sector in the UK," said UK Investment Minister Poppy Gustafsson last week at an event organized by the UK branch of the Coinbase-backed advocacy group Stand with Crypto.

Gustafsson stated that the government is "committed to nurturing and embracing blockchain" and has "taken decisive action to support this sector and ensure we remain at the forefront of global innovation."

One example she cited was the launch of the Digital Securities Sandbox, a testing platform for developing new solutions based on distributed ledger technology for issuing, trading, and settling securities in a real-time regulatory environment.

Another example is the launch of the digital gilt pilot project last month, which aims to issue UK government bonds on the blockchain.

Can the UK become a cryptocurrency hub?

While the UK is pushing a series of regulatory proposals regarding cryptocurrencies, not everyone believes it can become a global center for cryptocurrency technology.

"I don't know if we have the policymakers, the government, the risk appetite, or the attitude to support entrepreneurship to really seize this once-in-a-generation opportunity," said UK entrepreneur Steven Bartlett, known for his podcast series 'CEO Diary,' during a fireside chat at the Stand with Crypto event.

Bartlett said that after spending some time in the San Francisco and London offices of his blockchain startup Thirdweb, he feels that "starting a company here (referring to the UK) is really unfair compared to starting one there (in the US)."

Data from the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) shows that demand for cryptocurrencies in the country is growing — according to a survey published by the regulator last month, the average value of cryptocurrency held by UK residents rose from £1,595 a year ago to £1,842 this year ($2,337).

The FCA also published a roadmap detailing its plans to implement regulation in the cryptocurrency industry. The regulator will release discussion papers on stablecoins, trading platforms, lending, and staking over the next two years, and plans to implement a comprehensive regulatory system by 2026.

Competition from the US

Coinbase's Vice President of International Policy, Tom Duff Gordon, told CNBC that the UK should not let the progress of cryptocurrency regulatory legislation slow down after Trump won the election.

Trump is known in this election cycle for his pro-cryptocurrency policies. He has frequently mentioned the America First philosophy and expressed his desire to make the US the leading country for global cryptocurrencies. He vowed not to sell bitcoins seized by the federal government and to replace the current SEC chair Gary Gensler, who has taken aggressive enforcement actions against various cryptocurrency companies during his tenure leading the agency.

Last month, Gensler announced his intention to resign as SEC chair on January 20 next year, the day of Trump's inauguration.

Gordon told CNBC during a break at the event, "The UK has done a lot of work, there is a huge opportunity to really succeed in this field, but we do need clear regulation."

"We want to see secondary legislation regarding staking and stablecoins. The mayor mentioned this, so we would also like to see this," he added.

Coinbase's Chief Policy Officer Faryar Shirzad told CNBC in a recent interview that he now believes the US is "moving quite rapidly" towards federal cryptocurrency legislation — possibly as early as 2025.

Meanwhile, the EU's first cryptocurrency regulation (the Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation) (MiCA) will come into full effect later this month.

Outdated regulations are becoming a hindrance

KR1 is a publicly listed digital asset investment company focused on blockchain technology, and its CEO George McDonaugh stated that the UK's outdated regulatory legislation makes it difficult for investment companies focused on cryptocurrencies, like it, to become more widely recognized public companies.

KR1 is currently listed on the Acquis Stock Exchange, a trading venue for high-growth companies.

McDonaugh stated that KR1 has been trying to trade on major markets like the London Stock Exchange for years, but has been shut out due to a regulation from 2018 that prohibits tokens like Bitcoin and Ether from being included in publicly listed investment vehicles.

"Time has been wasted like this," McDonaugh said. "We believe that by removing this restriction, we can release a significant amount of capital into the UK market."

As the FCA attempts to figure out how to formulate and implement a regulatory framework for the crypto industry, experts hope that this framework will encourage and promote innovation rather than stifle it.

Irfan Baluch, a cryptocurrency lawyer at Cripps, expressed hope that the UK would take inspiration from the EU, which has taken a "leading role" in cryptocurrency regulation with the MiCA.

Baluch said, "Applying 20th-century laws to 21st-century technology... will only stifle innovation and push cryptocurrency businesses overseas." He added that the FCA's roadmap for cryptocurrency regulation seems to be "nodding in the direction of addressing this issue" — at least for now.

Bartlett stated, "The UK has this incredible opportunity at this moment to take truly decisive action... moving towards innovation."

"If we do this naturally like the US, we won't let ourselves become the leftover beneficiaries of blockchain or AI technology. We can play a truly meaningful role in ensuring the value of these technologies accumulates for this country. But the action must be radical," he added.

Article republished from: Jin Shi Data