Crypto Firms Could Face Prison Time for Unauthorized Ads: UK Regulator

Crypto firms in the United Kingdom will soon be required to follow new advertising guidelines, following a warning from the country’s Financial Conduct Authority.

In a statement published on Monday, the financial regulator said that those companies that fail to comply with the upcoming financial promotions regime will face up to two years in prison.

While the new rules have yet to be finalized, crypto firms will be subject to the same rules that other high-risk investments follow, including the use of specific risk warnings and positive frictions like a 24-hour cooling off period. Crypto promotions will also need to be “clear, fair, and not misleading.”

The financial regulator also warned that users won’t receive their funds back if they lose them in crypto.

“We have repeatedly warned that consumers should be prepared to lose all of their money if they buy cryptoassets. Recent events such as the high-profile failure of several cryptoasset firms further highlight the riskiness of these products. There is unlikely to be any compensation under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme for consumers who lose money,” the statement said.

The Financial Conduct Authority added that crypto firms both in the UK and those based overseas, regardless of what technology is used to make the promotion, “should get ready for the new regime.”

There are many misleading advertisements in the crypto industry. While the new ad rules in the UK should make it safer for users to choose their crypto products, they should still do their own thorough research before deciding what to use and where to invest money.