The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published a speech delivered by its interim director of wholesale markets sell-side, Mark Francis, at the UK Accelerated Settlement Taskforce industry event, emphasising the transition to a T+1 settlement cycle for securities trades by 11 October 2027. This follows the publication of the Accelerated Settlement Taskforce's final report, whose recommendations were welcomed by the FCA, the government and the Bank of England. Firms are encouraged to engage with the recommendations, plan early, budget for necessary changes and implement and test those changes in a timely manner. The FCA will support firms through engagement, communication and market monitoring during the transition. International coordination is emphasised to ensure an orderly transition, with alignment across Europe.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published a speech delivered by its director of market oversight, Dominic Holland, outlining the regulator’s commitment to fostering technological innovation in financial markets while preserving the vital role of human judgement and professional expertise. Holland emphasises that the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced analytics offers significant opportunities for improving market efficiency and integrity, provided firms maintain strong governance, oversight and accountability for their AI systems. He also addresses the role of technology in improving the UK transaction reporting regime.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published a speech delivered by Lucy Castledine, director of consumer investments, delivered at the Personal Investment Management & Financial Advice Association (PIMFA) Compliance Conference 2025 on 25 September 2025. The speech accompanies the publication of proposals on targeted support and simplified advice in CP25/26. Castledine outlines the FCA's four regulatory priorities: supporting growth, being a smarter regulator, helping consumers navigate their financial lives, and fighting crime.  Among other things, Castledine calls on social media platforms to ‘step up and stop illegal content’.  She advises regulated firms to notify the FCA of any challenges they experience when reporting illegal content to tech platforms.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published a speech delivered by its joint executive director of enforcement and market oversight, Steve Smart, at the 1LoD Financial Crime Summit. The FCA confirmed that tackling fraud and money laundering remains a system-wide priority. Planned steps include a synthetic data sprint to support anti-money laundering (AML) system testing, enhanced data sharing under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA 2023), and closer coordination with international partners including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the US Department of Justice (DoJ) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published a speech delivered by joint executive director of enforcement and market oversight, Therese Chambers, at AFME’s European Compliance and Legal Conference 2025. Chambers emphasised that confidence is the foundation of competitive markets and economic growth, and tackling financial crime remains the FCA’s priority. They noted that confidence must be built across the system not only through proportionate and effective enforcement but also by empowering consumers—through initiatives such as ScamSmart, Firm Checker and the proposed Targeted Support mode—taking a more assertive stance on authorisations and supervision, and supporting innovation via the AI Lab, Digital Securities Sandbox and the planned Platform for Innovative Securities and Capital Markets Experimental Sandbox (PISCES). Chambers added that international cooperation and market reforms are also strengthening the UK’s reputation for integrity and competitiveness.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published a speech by its executive director for payments and digital finance and managing director of the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR), David Geale, delivered at the City & Financial Global conference. The speech outlines the FCA’s approach for regulating cryptoassets and stablecoins, emphasising a proportionate framework that supports innovation while safeguarding consumers. Geale urges firms intending to operate in the UK to begin preparing for authorisation and engage with the FCA as the regime takes shape. He notes that the FCA will offer pre-application support to help firms understand requirements and demonstrate compliance.

The Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) chief operating officer, Emily Shepperd, has delivered a speech entitled ‘Culture is contagious’ in which she underscores the FCA's support for the government's focus on economic growth, emphasising the FCA’s view that the risk-taking required for long-term growth will be reliant on a foundation of healthy firm cultures. Shepperd provides an update on the FCA’s next steps on its proposed regulatory framework around non-financial misconduct (NFM) and diversity and inclusion (D&I), and on its review of the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SM&CR). She also stresses improvements in the speed of enforcement investigations.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced that it has started criminal proceedings against five individuals for conspiracy to commit insider dealing and money laundering. The FCA alleges that Redinel Korfuzi, Oerta Korfuzi, Iva Spahiu, Rogerio de Aquino and Dema Almeziad conspired to commit offences of insider dealing between 17 December 2019 and 25 March 2021.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced that it has started criminal proceedings against three people for carrying out regulated activity without authorisation. the FCA alleges that between 1 September 2014 and 7 November 2018, Rajinder Gill and Jetinder Sandhu offered loans and sale-and-rent-back agreements on behalf of Secure Property Consultants Ltd (trading as Secure Property Buyers and Secure Property Sales) without being approved by the regulator. They have also been charged with fraudulent trading. The FA also alleges that between 2 February 2017 and 17 October 2017 Amandeep Heer offered two sale-and-rent-back agreements when not authorised to do so.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced that it has started a criminal prosecution against Matthew and Nikolas West for insider dealing. They are jointly charged with conspiracy to deal in four stocks while having inside information.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has issued a statement to note the Court of Appeal judgment on 25 October 2024, in Jonhson v Firstrand Bank Ltd, Wrench v Firstrand Bank Ltd and Hopcraft v Close Brothers Ltd, in relation to motor finance commission and is carefully considering the decision.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced that it has stopped a Cypriot-based firm, BDSwiss Holding Plc, and other members of the BDSwiss Group from offering high risk contracts for differences (CFDs) to UK investors. The FCA has required BDSwiss Holding Plc to stop conducting any regulated or marketing activities in the UK and has directed it to take all reasonable steps to stop other members of the BDSwiss Group doing the same.