What's on the Horizon in the UK and EU?

2026 is set to be a pivotal year for payments and fintech regulation across the UK and the EU, as the regulatory focus shifts to the implementation of major regulatory reforms. This Update distils the key developments shaping the payments and digital assets ecosystem — spanning safeguarding, payments infrastructure reform, and evolving cryptoasset regulation — alongside other incoming initiatives that firms should be building into their strategic roadmaps.