Legal News

AMLA has set out a Crypto Action Plan for 2026 and beyond, focusing on crypto ML/TF risk analysis, supervisory convergence, blockchain analytics and EU-level cooperation. The initiative does not create a new CASP licence, but it signals a more coordinated AML supervisory environment ahead of the EU AML Regulation and AMLA’s direct supervision from 2028.

The European Banking Authority has finalised new Guidelines on third-party risk for non-ICT services. The framework will replace the 2019 outsourcing guidelines and introduces a DORA-aligned lifecycle approach covering due diligence, contracts, subcontracting, monitoring, registers and exit planning.

HM Treasury has laid targeted amendments to the UK cryptoasset regime designed to remove certain UK-issued qualifying stablecoin payments from crypto dealing and arranging rules while retaining regulation of issuance, custody and lending. The instrument still requires parliamentary approval.

UK crypto firms can apply for FCA authorisation under the new FSMA regime from 30 September 2026. The application window closes on 28 February 2027, while the full regime is expected to start on 25 October 2027. Existing MLR registrations, payment permissions and other FCA statuses will not convert automatically.

New UK Gambling Commission fees take effect on 1 October 2026. The reform introduces a headline 25% funding increase, restructures many operating-licence bands, raises personal and change-of-control fees, and changes how some operators are classified.

The European Banking Authority has called for targeted changes to MiCA, including regulation of crypto lending, stronger rules for third-country multi-issuer stablecoin schemes and clearer crypto-asset classification. The recommendations do not change MiCA today, but they provide an important indication of where the EU framework could expand in its 2027 review.

White-label and proprietary casinos create different M&A risks. We examine platform agreements, regulatory responsibility, IP ownership, player data, migration planning and the transaction protections buyers should address before closing.

A gaming licence can materially affect the structure, timing and risk allocation of an iGaming acquisition, but there is no reliable fixed percentage premium attached to a UKGC, MGA, Curaçao or Gibraltar licence. We compare current change-of-control rules, licence continuity and regulatory due diligence across four major jurisdictions.

Singapore has strengthened its governance framework for increasingly autonomous AI agents while continuing to develop a dedicated regulatory regime for single-currency stablecoins. The two developments illustrate different regulatory approaches — practical AI governance guidance on one side and a prudential stablecoin framework moving towards legislation on the other.