Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the regulation in the cryptocurrencies in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

John Glen, Economic Secretary to the Treasury: The Cryptoassets Taskforce, consisting of HM Treasury, the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), published its report in October 2018. It concluded that strong action should be taken to address the risks associated with cryptoassets that fall within existing regulatory frameworks, and that further consultation and international coordination is required for those cryptoassets that pose new challenges to traditional forms of financial regulation, and fall outside the existing regulatory framework.

Since the report, the FCA has consulted and issued final guidance on the regulatory perimeter in relation to cryptoassets, and HMT has consulted on the transposition of the 5th Anti-Money Laundering Directive (5AMLD), which will bring cryptoasset exchanges and custodian wallet providers within the scope of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing regulation.

Hansard

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