The UK FCA plans to allow authorized funds to hold up to 10% in crypto ETNs

According to The Block, the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has proposed allowing authorized investment funds (including UCITS schemes and most non-UCITS retail schemes) to allocate up to 10% of their assets to cryptocurrency exchange-traded notes (ETNs).

This proposal is included in the FCA's 52nd quarterly consultation document, and the public and institutions have five weeks to submit their opinions, with a deadline of July 13. The FCA stated that this move aims to bridge the regulatory gap between individual retail investors and authorized funds. Since the FCA lifted the four-year retail ban on cryptocurrency ETNs in August 2025, individual investors can directly invest in ETNs, but funds were previously still subject to an "effective ban."

The FCA emphasized that the 10% cap is deliberately set, as exceeding this ratio could force funds to be reclassified as restricted public investment products, affecting their retail fund status. In the proposal, professional and qualified investor schemes are not subject to the cap; long-term asset funds and non-UCITS retail schemes operating in the form of alternative investment funds will be excluded.

The FCA pointed out that cryptocurrencies do not align with the investment objectives of these funds. From the industry perspective, the Investment Association supports the proposal, believing that acquiring crypto assets through regulated listed products is manageable in terms of risk, and the 10% cap helps manage fund risk. Fund managers must ensure that their holdings are consistent with the investment objectives and risk characteristics disclosed by the fund and disclose significant cryptocurrency ETN holdings.

The FCA emphasized that it is not currently considering allowing authorized funds to directly hold cryptocurrency assets for investment and will make a decision after assessing the impact of the upcoming cryptocurrency asset regulatory framework and client asset protection rules.