Key themes and emerging issues that organisations will need to navigate under the new cryptoasset regulatory regime.
By Brett Carr, Stuart Davis, Gabriel Lakeman, Maria Georgiou, Jasmine Hopkinson, Cameron Jones, Sam Maxson, Imaan Nazir, Ivan Pizeta, Emma Trankeenan,* and Ema Uncovska
Key Points:
The 12 February 2026 deadline for firms…
The Proposal addresses recent comments about the scope of permissible activities for national trust banks, as applications to charter new banks continue to be filed.
By Arthur S. Long, Parag Patel, Pia Naib, Connor Jobes, and Deric Behar
Key Points
The Proposal would amend the OCC’s chartering regulations to clarify that national trust banks are not…
The Staff statement provides a framework for broker-dealers seeking to maintain “physical possession” of digital asset securities, emphasizing operational security and risk mitigation.
By Zachary Fallon, Stephen P. Wink, Naim Culhaci, and Deric Behar
Key Points:
The 2025 Crypto Custody Statement clarifies how broker-dealers can maintain “physical possession” of cryptoasset securities under the Customer Protection Rule, although…
The proposal outlines the application process and the factors that the FDIC will consider in granting approval for an entity to issue payment stablecoins.
By Arthur S. Long, Parag Patel, Pia Naib, Connor Jobes, and Deric Behar
Key Points
The Proposal would align stablecoin issuer reviews to five statutory factors, including the ability to meet reserve…
The publication of the SI marks the latest regulatory development in the UK’s rapidly evolving cryptoasset landscape.
By Stuart Davis, Gabriel Lakeman, Brett Carr, Sam Maxson, and Emma Trankeenan
Key Points
On 15 December 2025, HM Treasury published the final draft statutory statement (the SI) setting out how activities in relation to qualifying cryptoassets (QCs) will…
The update will create significant time pressure for firms seeking UK authorisation.
By Stuart Davis and Gabriel Lakeman
On 8 January 2026 the FCA published an update on the cryptoasset gateway (the Gateway) for firms seeking approval under the future regulatory regime for cryptoasset activities.1 The timings set out by the FCA will create significant time pressure on firms…
The no‑action relief opens the door to experimentation with blockchain-based market infrastructure while preserving traditional securities market safeguards.
By Jenny Cieplak, Paul M. Dudek, Zachary Fallon, Stephen P. Wink, Hank Balaban, and Deric Behar
Key Points
The no-action letter permits DTC to run a pilot program for asset tokenization under strict guardrails for a three-year…
The OCC affirmed that certain cryptoasset activities are part of, or incidental to, the business of banking and conditionally approved five national trust bank charters for digital asset entities.
By Arthur S. Long, Parag Patel, Pia Naib, Connor Jobes, and Deric Behar
Key Points:
The OCC affirmed that national banks may conduct riskless principal transactions in…
The NAL provides incremental clarity for innovators in the digital asset space and reduces legal risk for similarly structured rewards tokens.
By Zachary Fallon, Stephen P. Wink, Hank Balaban, Connor Jobes, Daphne Lambadariou, and Deric Behar
Key Points:
Pursuant to the NAL, transactions in Fuse Tokens will not be considered to involve securities requiring registration…
An interactive online resource covering the UK’s rapidly evolving cryptoasset landscape.
By Stuart Davis, Gabriel Lakeman, and Emma Trankeenan
Latham & Watkins has launched the UK Cryptoasset Regulatory Tracker, a new online resource that provides cryptoasset businesses with critical information to help them navigate the latest regulatory developments in cryptoassets.
The UK framework for cryptoassets is…
Spain follows the trajectory of other EU Member States that have similarly recalibrated their transitional periods since ESMA first published its consolidated list.
By Gabriel Lakeman, Paloma Arizón, and Ivan Pizeta
On 1 December 2025, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) published an updated list of grandfathering periods decided by EU Member States under the Markets in…
As the fintech landscape evolves, federal banking regulators are taking decisive steps to integrate stablecoins and payments innovations into the traditional banking system.
By Arthur S. Long, Parag Patel, Pia Naib, and Deric Behar
Key Points:
The FDIC plans to propose an application process for stablecoin issuance by FDIC-regulated institutions by the end of 2025, and is…