UK Treasury publishes crypto framework paper: Here's what's inside

His Majesty’s Treasury published a long-anticipated consultation paper for the United Kingdom's upcoming crypto regulation. The extensive 80-page document covers a broad range of topics, from the troubles of algorithmic stablecoins to nonfungible tokens (NFTs) and initial coin offerings (ICOs). 

As stated by the HM Treasury, the proposals seek to place the U.K.’s financial services sector at the forefront of crypto and thus avoid the hardline control measures, which have gained momentum globally amid the crypto winter. 

The Treasury announced that there won’t be a separate regulatory regime for crypto as it would fall under the framework of the U.K.’s Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA). The goal is to level the playing field between crypto and traditional finances. However, Britain’s chief financial regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), will tailor the existing FSMA’s rules for the digital assets market.

At least one nuisance stemming from that decision is the obligation for crypto market participants to repeat the registration procedure. Earlier, they have already had to undergo the procedure under the FCA licensing regime, but now they will need to be assessed “against a wider range of measures.”

The good news is that apart from traditional finance, crypto companies won’t have to regularly report their market data. But the exchanges would be required to keep that data and make it available at all times.

The Treasury didn’t follow some of its international counterparts and decided not to ban algorithmic stablecoins. It will qualify them as “unbacked crypto assets,” not as “stablecoins,” and treat them as such. Nevertheless, the crypto promotions would have to exclude the term “stable” from marketing the algorithmic coins.

Related: Crypto scammers abuse ‘lax’ UK company laws to fool victims

The separate regulatory regime for crypto lending platforms would be considered, and, according to the consultation paper, should make lenders take into account an appropriate collateral valuation and the contingency plans for the failure of participants’ largest market counterparties.

The first reactions to the consultation paper were optimistic. Binance spared no time to welcome the paper. Speaking to Cointelegraph, Ripple's policy director for EMEA, Andrew Whitworth, called it “a big step”:

“From today, the government should encourage further collaboration with the private sector to devise a comprehensive, risk-based framework, which aligns with international best practice.”

The consultation will close on Apr. 30, 2023. Until that time, the British government welcomes responses from all stakeholders, including crypto firms, financial institutions, trade associations, representative bodies, academics, legal firms and consumer groups.