UK Weighs Lifting Retail Ban on Crypto Exchange-Traded Products

The UK’s financial regulator proposed lifting its ban on retail investors buying exchange-traded products tied to cryptocurrencies, seeking to bolster competitiveness against a resurgent US crypto market under Donald Trump.

The Financial Conduct Authority said the change would mean existing exchange-traded notes tied to tokens like Bitcoin and Ether can be sold to retail buyers, as long as they’re traded on an FCA-approved exchange. The regulator permitted such products to be traded on venues like the London Stock Exchange last year, but only among professional investors.