Our CEO was on two panels at in Helsinki. - Will Bitcoin break the EU? - Who’s writing Europe’s Bitcoin policy? You can have a framework that looks open and still be shut out in practice. In the UK the rulebook is already being written while the strategy is still being debated. Her recap is below.

Bitcoin Policy UK has ended its consolidation phase and is moving into its next stage with a clearer structure and renewed focus. Violet Ward has resumed the role of CEO, with Cristina Llamas leading operations as COO. Even while operating at reduced capacity, the work continued. During consolidation BPUK: - responded to FCA Consultation Paper CP25/40 on cryptoasset regulation - sent its 2026 Manifesto to all 650 MPs - responded to the Government’s Digital ID consultation - published research on the structural risks of Bitcoin treasury companies - published and updated the BPUK Privacy Toolkit - responded to HMRC on stablecoin taxation - submitted evidence on banking access - responded to HMRC on cryptoasset lending - responded to the Bank of England on systemic stablecoins Susie said, “Bitcoin has no CEO, no head office and no central body speaking for it. Bitcoin does not need permission. Our job is to make sure policymakers understand how it works and where rules built around issuers and intermediaries do not fit.” BPUK remains a small, independent team run by volunteers with limited resources, but consolidation is over and we are excited about what comes next. https://bitcoinpolicy.uk/blog-1/f/bpuk-ends-consolidation-and-enters-next-phase

Now available to listen to on ‘On the Record' by Bitcoin Policy UK. This episode covers our response to HMRC’s draft rules on Bitcoin lending and liquidity pools, including where the proposed rules work and where they still need fixing. Listen here: https://fountain.fm/episode/xE7boMfZ60B470omrB5K

Bitcoin Policy UK has ended its consolidation phase. We remain a small volunteer organisation and would welcome support from anyone who wants this independent Bitcoin policy work to continue. If you would like to help fund the next phase, please email [email protected].

How much influence should the Bank of England have over privately issued money? Bitcoin Policy UK has submitted its response to the Bank’s draft Code of Practice for systemic sterling stablecoins. We’ve asked the Bank to look closely at: * the combined cost of the rules * the 30% Bank of England deposit requirement * up to 95% of backing assets in government debt for some issuers * how much personal data is collected during redemption * how dependent issuers become on Bank of England Good regulation should reduce risk without closing the door to competition. Read the full article and our submission: https://bitcoinpolicy.uk/blog-1/f/our-ask-to-boe-on-stablecoins-regulate-the-risk-not-the-model

“There is an instinct in regulation that more information means more control and therefore more safety.” Our director and co-founder Violet Ward, quoted in Cointelegraph on why KYC can end up collecting far more identity data than is necessary and the risks that creates.

Bitcoin transactions sit on a public ledger, so linking a verified identity to an address or transaction can expose a previously pseudonymous history. As digital credentials become easier to reuse across government and private services, policy needs much tighter limits on what can be requested, recorded and linked. The GOV.UK framework will allow certified verification services to use information held in Wallet. Identity rules designed for bank accounts cannot be copied unchanged onto an open ledger.

The policy response continues to be more KYC, more collection and more sharing of personal data. This continues even as the systems that hold that information keep failing, and it is customers rather than the institutions collecting it who end up carrying the risk.

Now available to listen to on 'On the Record' by Bitcoin Policy UK. This episode examines the barriers Bitcoin users and businesses continue to face when accessing banking services in the UK, drawing on our submission to the Crypto and Digital Assets APPG inquiry. Listen on : https://fountain.fm/episode/yRBaCO6YaSGs2Czl7GCM

The UK now chairs FATF (Financial Action Task Force, the body setting global anti-money laundering standards), with fraud as its two-year priority.  The plan means more data sharing across exchanges, banks and telecoms.  On Bitcoin's public ledger that's not the same trade-off as with hidden bank records: link an identity to an address once and it can be traced for good.  Self-custody helps, but it isn't a full shield once KYC has already tagged a wallet. Read the full article: https://bitcoinpolicy.uk/blog-1/f/fatf’s-fraud-roadmap-expands-data-risks-and-global-surveillance