Robinhood squeezed in a UK crypto registration before new FCA rules

Robinhood's UK subsidiary slipped through an old door just months before it closes: on July 31, the company was added to the FCA's cryptoasset firms register, under the anti-money-laundering registration regime that's been in place since 2020. Over 50 firms are already on that register, including Ripple, Kraken, BlackRock, and BNY.

The timing isn't a coincidence — this is the last chance to get in under the older, lighter-touch rules. We previously covered how the UK finalized its new crypto market regulatory regime, with capital requirements for stablecoins and a dedicated MARC mechanism against market abuse. The application window for that new, far stricter authorization regime doesn't open until the end of September 2026 and closes at the end of February 2027, with the full system only taking effect in October 2027.

“Today marks the beginning of a new chapter for Robinhood, and we're excited to take the first important step towards bringing our investing platform to customers in the U.K.”

— Wander Rutgers, Wander Rutgers, President, Robinhood International

The company had already flagged plans to launch crypto products in the UK back in late July, during its second-quarter earnings presentation, but without a specific timeline — and now the regulatory approval for that step is formally in place. Robinhood's crypto revenue itself came in at $100 million for the second quarter, down 38% year over year, which hasn't stopped the company from expanding its product lineup: its own Robinhood Chain blockchain, tokenized stocks in over 120 countries, and the Robinhood Earn product.

We've already broken down exactly what Robinhood announced about its blockchain and tokenized stocks in London — this FCA register entry closes a specific regulatory gap for the UK launch, but it doesn't answer the bigger question: whether UK users will actually adopt these products as enthusiastically as the company is betting they will.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.