Two major companies have been added to the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) crypto register in the U.K., the first additions in six months. Bitstamp and Interactive Brokers (IBKR) have become the 42nd and 43rd firms to meet the FCA’s anti-money laundering and terror financing regulations.
Bitstamp, which was added to the list on Tuesday, now has 52 licenses and registrations across France, Spain, Italy, and other countries. CEO Jean-Baptiste Graftieaux said in an emailed press release, With mainstream adoption continuing to be our goal, Bitstamp is establishing itself as a driving force in advocating that increased regulation is key to this journey.
Interactive Brokers, which was added to the list on Monday, began offering cryptocurrency trading to professional investors in Hong Kong in February this year. It teamed up with Paxos Trust in 2021 to allow clients to trade crypto. The Nasdaq-traded company is based in Greenwich, Connecticut.
The FCA currently only has power to ensure crypto companies register with it and comply with its rules, but a bill working its way through Parliament could give the agency and Payments Systems Regulator more power to regulate the industry and protect consumers.