Crypto laws around the world are changing in 2026, building on the momentum of 2025, which will affect crypto users in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Asia Pacific (APAC) region.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the US bank regulator, announced a proposal in December outlining the path through which banks will be able to issue dollar-pegged stablecoins under the GENIUS stablecoin framework passed by Congress in mid-2025.
Under the proposal, banks must issue stablecoins through a branch, with both institutions subject to FDIC reviews and audits for financial stability.
The U.S. Federal Reserve in December withdrew its guidelines that blocked banks from engaging in crypto activities, paving the way for them to safeguard client assets and provide other crypto services in 2026.
Crypto investors can also expect US lawmakers to pass the CLARITY Act in 2026, a comprehensive regulatory framework for crypto that outlines taxation, asset taxonomy and issuance guidelines.
Crypto taxes in the US are calculated when digital assets are exchanged or sold and are taxed as ordinary income, with a tax rate of 0%-20% for assets held for more than one year, while crypto held for shorter periods is taxed at a rate of 10%-37%.
Centralized crypto brokerages and service providers are also required to report the cost basis, the original value of the cryptocurrency when it was purchased, to the IRS from January 2026, but the new reporting rules do not apply to decentralized exchanges, according to Coinbase.
Related: US Cryptocurrency Legislation and Policies to Watch for in 2026
In 2026, the UK will introduce the final crypto rules and start implementing tax policy
The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the government’s regulator, is expected to publish its final rules outlining regulations for the crypto industry in 2026.
These rules include Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) provisions, at the level of traditional financial markets, consumer protection and licensing requirements for approved digital asset service providers in the country.
The UK and EU implemented the Crypto Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) on Thursday, standardizing the collection of user trading data by crypto exchanges for tax reporting purposes.
Under CARF, covered crypto service providers must collect expanded customer data and submit annual reports on account balances and transactions to local tax authorities, which then share the information with foreign partners under existing data-sharing agreements.
Hong Kong advances regulatory framework for stablecoin, Chinese central government flip flop
In December, Hong Kong lawmakers proposed a bill to regulate stablecoins that must go through three readings that include revisions, debate and negotiation before being sent to the chief executive who, like a US state governor, can sign it into law.
The bill is expected to become law sometime in 2026, paving the way for a comprehensive regulatory framework for stablecoins in Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China with its own financial system, regulations and currency.
Meanwhile, China’s central government changed crypto policy and stablecoin regulations for the mainland, issuing another crypto ban in December.
In 2025, China’s regulatory authorities pushed for stablecoin reform, but quickly abandoned any proposed policy changes, choosing instead to focus on the development of the digital yuan, a central bank digital currency (CBDC).
In one of its latest moves in 2025, the People’s Bank of China began allowing commercial banks to pay interest to digital yuan holders in January 2026 to expand its role beyond simply replacing fiat.
Magazine: How Crypto Laws Changed in 2025 — and How They Will Change in 2026
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