On 4 December 2025, the European Commission proposed a major change to how crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) are supervised across the European Union. As part of its Market Integration and Supervision Package, the Commission proposed transferring direct supervision of CASPs from national competent authorities to the European Securities and Markets Read more…
“How long does it take to get a financial licence?” It is one of the questions I hear most often from FinTech founders and teams preparing for regulatory approval. The second question usually follows quickly: “What can I do to make it faster?” There is no universal answer. A licence Read more…
Every compliance officer I have met believes they are protected because they escalated the issue. They wrote the memo. They flagged the risk. They documented the gap. They sent the email. They copied senior management. They have a paper trail. And they assume that paper trail will protect them if Read more…
Everyone in compliance seems to wear perfectionism like a badge of honour. High standards. Rigorous processes. Nothing gets through unless it is airtight. I understand it. I used to believe the same thing. But after observing, training and hiring hundreds of compliance and risk professionals, I have come to a Read more…
In the FinTech environment, risks and gaps are everywhere. Unfortunately, many regulatory professionals, risk experts and compliance officers believe that informing management about risks, escalating issues, documenting gaps and tracking remediation commitments is a valid strategy for protecting themselves from personal liability. It isn’t always. In some situations, documenting and Read more…
There is a wonderful compliance case study hidden inside the FCA’s £3.5 million fine against Coinbase’s UK payments entity. Not because Coinbase broke the law. They clearly did. This story is a magnificent demonstration of what happens when very intelligent people spend enormous amounts of time and money managing a Read more…
There is a side of compliance that rarely gets taught. It is not just about identifying problems. It is about knowing what to do once you see them. Over the past year, I have been hands-on in about a dozen compliance projects, interviewed more than 50 senior compliance leaders and Read more…
When it comes to FinTech licensing, about 50% of review time is spent by the regulators on “fit and proper” assessment and the overall team organization. Furthermore, many regulators will not even commence any policy or financial plans review before they are comfortable with the team structure. Obviously, team composition, Read more…
I am really happy and excited when my network contacts or blog readers or even random FinTech enthusiasts reach out to me and ask their questions. Please keep them coming – this is how I learn about your most common concerns and challenges and can produce better and more relevant Read more…
Today, I wanted to tell you about one fun fact… Recently licensed FinTech companies are typically super excited, they prepare their PR statements and go on a roadshow to announce their license approval to the world. In 100% of the cases I know of, they say something inaccurate or politically Read more…