According to @rovercrc, the UK aims to finish its stablecoin rules by 2026 to keep pace with US crypto policy, source: @rovercrc (X, Oct 18, 2025). The UK’s legal basis to regulate fiat-backed stablecoins used in payments was established under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 and subsequent HM Treasury policy updates, source: HM Treasury, Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 and 2023 cryptoasset policy publications. The Bank of England outlined a regime for systemic stablecoin payment systems and issuers in a November 2023 discussion paper, including prudential, backing-asset and redemption requirements, source: Bank of England, November 2023 Discussion Paper on stablecoin regulation. For traders, key milestones to monitor are HM Treasury rulemaking updates and final rules from the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority, which will shape the timeline for GBP stablecoin issuance, custody permissions and payments use in the UK, source: HM Treasury 2023; Bank of England 2023.

According to the source, a Sky News segment asked whether a UK central bank digital currency is next, spotlighting policy attention on a potential digital pound; source: Sky News segment referenced in the post. The Bank of England and HM Treasury stated in their January 2024 consultation response that no decision has been made to introduce a digital pound and that work is moving into a multi-year design phase before any potential build and launch; source: Bank of England and HM Treasury, Digital pound consultation response, 2024. HM Treasury also set out in 2024 that fiat-backed stablecoins used in UK payments will be brought into the regulatory perimeter, with the FCA overseeing conduct and the Bank of England supervising systemic arrangements, defining the path for GBP-linked tokens alongside any CBDC; source: HM Treasury, Regulating fiat-backed stablecoins, 2024. For trading, UK policy headlines from BoE/HMT/FCA on the digital pound and the stablecoin regime are key catalysts to watch for BTC, ETH and GBP pairs, with status updates issued via official publications rather than any immediate rollout; source: Bank of England publications; HM Treasury policy papers; Financial Conduct Authority updates.