🇬🇧 This afternoon Crypto Council for Innovation met with Lucy Rigby KC MP to discuss the latest developments in UK digital assets policy and the opportunities presented by the Transatlantic Taskforce for Markets of the Future.

Our core message on the new crypto regime: the UK has moved at an unprecedented policy pace. The focus now should be on getting the calibration right so that this progress translates into a strong onshore market - and into the economic and regulatory dividends that come with it.

In conclusion, as I have set out, this regime will raise standards, strengthen consumer protection, help to tackle market abuse and support the responsible growth of the UK’s cryptoasset sector by providing clear and consistent rules. It brings cryptoassets within the robust Financial Services and Markets Act framework while ensuring that the sector has the space and flexibility to innovate. I hope the Committee will join me in supporting this instrument.

Yesterday we officially launched The Payments Manifesto 2026 "Making hashtag#Britain a hashtag#PaymentsPowerhouse", written by our 8 Policy Working Groups. Our members came together to see the fruit of their work alongside the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Lucy Rigby KC MP. She highlighted the importance of innovation in payments, with particular focus to hashtag#inclusion, hashtag#stablecoins and hashtag#economicgrowth. We are thrilled to see the government progressing on delivering hashtag#paymentsinnovation, hashtag#infrastructure renewal, hashtag#resilience and serious hashtag#openness to the markets of the future.

🇬🇧 is a payments innovation powerhouse & this Government is committed to facilitating the development of next gen payments infrastructure - a trusted, world-leading ecosystem where the latest tech can flourish.

Thank you very much to The Payments Association for inviting me to join the launch of their Payments Manifesto today.

City Minister Lucy Rigby is speaking at the launch of the Payments Association’s “Payments Manifesto” launch in the early afternoon, where she’ll be talking about the role of “tokenization” in payments — the process of replacing sensitive payment info like credit card numbers with unique identifiers, for the uninitiated.

Landmark laws to regulate cryptoasset companies in Britain will help the country “lead the world in digital asset adoption” and attract investment, City minister Lucy Rigby has claimed.

Rigby insisted that Britain’s new crypto regulatory regime, which will take effect in the second half of 2027, would be “proportionate and fair” and would provide certainty for digital businesses and protection for consumers.

Speaking to the Financial Times, Rigby said: “Bringing forward this legislation is a milestone. Our intention is to lead the world in digital asset adoption. The rules we are putting in place are going to be proportionate and fair. They are going to be good for growth, encourage firms to invest here and protect consumers as well. I don’t see any conflict between those things.”

We want the UK to be at the top of the list for cryptoassets firms looking to grow and these new rules will give firms the clarity and consistency they need to plan for the long term.

She is a member of the APPG on Financial Technology.