The Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) has released a Circular addressed to all Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) outlining Enhanced Measures for High‑Risk Jurisdictions. This update follows the October 2025 Financial Action Task Force (FATF) list revision and the UAE National Committee’s Decision No. (15) of 2025.
In the latest episode of our mini-series looking at the UK’s approach to regulating cryptoassets we discuss the proposed admissions and disclosures regime for Cryptoassets as set out in the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2025 and the Financial Conduct Authority’s recent consultation paper on this topic (CP25/41).
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On 23 January 2026, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) issued:
CP26/4
Recently, the FCA has consulted on different aspects of the future
On 21 January 2025, the Bank of England published a web page concerning the latest annual CBEST Thematic publication which presents insights derived from recent CBEST assessments conducted across firms and financial market infrastructures (FMIs).
Overview
CBEST is a threat-led penetration testing assessment framework that mirrors real-world attacks to enable firms and FMIs
On 20 January 2026, the House of Commons Treasury Committee (Committee) published a report on artificial intelligence (AI) in financial services.
Background
On 3 February 2025, the Committee launched an inquiry to examine the opportunities and risks posed by AI for the UK financial services sector. In response to its call
On 13 January 2026, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) announced that it had adopted a new Digital Strategy and updated its Data Strategy.
Data Strategy
The Data Strategy 2023–2028 has been updated to reflect the focus on burden reduction, the evolving technological landscape, and ESMA’s desire for unlocking efficiency opportunities. While
On 13 January 2026, the G7 Cyber Expert Group (G7 CEG) issued a statement on advancing a coordinated roadmap for the transition to post-quantum cryptography in the financial sector. The statement follows an earlier statement that the G7 CEG issued in September 2024 which highlighted the benefits and risks associated with quantum computing.
Different regulators are approaching artificial intelligence (AI) in different ways. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has concluded that its existing rules and guidance provide a sufficient framework for managing risk and therefore is not planning to introduce new regulations specific to AI at present. It also believes this is the best
On 12 January 2026, the International Regulatory Strategy Group (IRSG) published a report mapping how jurisdictions are approaching artificial intelligence (AI) in financial services. The report identifies where global coherence is emerging and outlining practical steps for policymakers and regulators to promote the safe and responsible innovation of AI.
Key findings
On 8 January 2026, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published webpages setting out further information in relation to its proposed approach to the new regulatory regime for Cryptoassets.
Background
In October 2023, HM Treasury (HMT) published proposals for the creation of a regulatory regime for cryptoassets and, in December 2025, the government