WhiteBIT stakes UK future on clear crypto regulation

Nosov, who also sits on the WhiteBIT UK board as a non-executive director, made the case in an interview published Oct. 26, 2026 by CryptoUK, a trade association that represents crypto firms in UK policy debates. He said the country already has deep capital markets, financial expertise, fintech talent and increasingly clear rules, and that the next step is collaboration between companies, policymakers and regulators.

For WhiteBIT, that means moving beyond its current setup. The UK unit, launched on May 20, 2026, operates under section 21, which lets a firm without its own FCA authorization market crypto services only if an authorized firm approves its promotions; WhiteBIT said Zeyro Ltd approved its launch promotion. Nosov described the arrangement as part of a “future long-term commitment under a directly authorised route.”

For UK customers, the dedicated entity means pound deposits by card or through Faster Payments, local customer support and products built for the UK market, Nosov said.

The FCA opened its authorization gateway on Sept. 30, 2026. Firms that intend to keep serving UK customers must apply by Feb. 28, 2027, ahead of the full regime taking effect on Oct. 25, 2027. Firms that rely on approved promotions, as WhiteBIT UK does, can keep using a section 21 approver while an application filed during that window is pending, according to a Mondaq analysis of the transition rules.

Nosov said an exchange should be able to explain how it protects customer assets before it talks about its product range. He named custody, cybersecurity, market integrity and transparency as the standards users should expect.

The FCA’s record under its anti-money laundering registration regime shows how high the bar has been. From January 2020 through August 2026, the regulator registered 68 crypto firms out of 391 applications it determined, while 263 applicants withdrew. The regulator has said most applications it reviewed fell short of the anti-money laundering standards it expects.

The UK move follows other regulatory steps. WhiteBIT EU, operated by WB-Shield Innovations GmbH, received MiCA authorization from Austria’s Financial Market Authority in June 2026. WhiteBIT US, headquartered in New York, launched in December 2025. Nosov said local teams handle compliance in each market, including Turkey, Australia and Latin America.

The new regime also sets prudential requirements, and Nosov listed capital planning alongside governance and AML controls among the areas where applicants will be tested. WhiteBIT will go through that process as part of W Group, which Nosov leads as president and which says it serves more than 35 million customers.