The growth of cryptoassets: opportunities and implications for financial advisors

This blog first featured on Ashfords' website here.

In May and June 2025, Ashfords took part in the latest Future Finance collaborative challenge programme, as part of an expert panel discussing the continued growth of the UK cryptoasset sector and related opportunities and implications for financial advisors.

In this article, we highlight some of the opportunities and implications of cryptoasset growth for financial advisors, providing next steps for firms whilst considering the UK's cryptoasset developments.

Cryptoassets – opportunities and implications for financial advisors

It’s clear that financial advisors may miss an opportunity to fully service clients if firms do not adapt, develop an understanding of the cryptoasset sector, and plan how they might offer sensible solutions and services for clients requiring advice in relation to or seeking to invest in cryptoassets.

A silhouetted figure gazes towards the city skyline as symbols of Bitcoin and Ethereum emerge like a flourishing tree, symbolizing the growth and upward trajectory of cryptoassets amidst a digital network.

This isn’t new – cryptoassets continue to become more difficult to ignore! Continued development and capital entering the sector, plus increased client awareness and interest in cryptoassets supports this – a recent 2024/25 YouGov consumer research on cryptoassets identifying c. 93% of UK adults having heard of cryptoassets and c. 12% of UK adults having owned/owning cryptoassets (a significant increase from c. 4% in 2021) all support this potential opportunity for firms.

This comment must come with a health warning – ability for firms to offer regulated advice in respect of cryptoassets is subject to further UK regulatory developments, in particular the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) intended roll out of a new sophisticated regulatory authorisation regime related to cryptoassets and stablecoins, to include intermediaries and firms providing advice. Ashfords wrote about this in our future of UK cryptoasset regulation insight - it's anticipated that the new regulatory regime will 'go live' in 2026 if all goes to plan.

Equally, a firm’s appetite to provide these types of services will likely depend on its risk appetite, characteristics of its client base, and intended target market, plus its plans and ambitions for servicing new sectors.

Next steps for financial advisors considering UK cryptoasset developments

In any event, though, firms should take stock of the opportunity that cryptoassets represent and monitor the progress of the FCA’s cryptoasset roadmap carefully, whilst considering due diligence required to determine if offering cryptoasset advisory and intermediary services in the future represents a compelling value proposition for their business and clients.

Related, if firms did see a strong opportunity, it would be wise to consider legal and regulatory implications of building out a new service in line with forthcoming FCA requirements, for example, in due course, how might it:

• Meet new FCA regulatory requirements, secure new regulatory permissions, satisfy FCA rules and guidance, and maintain appropriate systems and controls and compliance processes in relation to the same.

• Develop and offer appropriate new products and services to clients, including the selection of trusted and established partners and service providers to fully deliver any cryptoasset proposition.

• Enhance internal knowledge on the subject, including training and education related to cryptoassets and stablecoins, which might also include building client awareness and knowledge of the sector.

  
  

Future Finance – challenges at the cutting edge of the UK financial service sector

The Future Finance team is continuing to research and gather information on the challenge topic – implications and opportunities for financial advisors in relation to cryptoasset growth, and plans to publish outcomes and more thorough feedback to its network in Q3 2025.

Future Finance is focused on boosting the UK financial services sector’s impact and global competitiveness, offering a fully-funded support package and accelerator programme to UK financial service providers, assisting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to adopt innovative products and processes for the future.

This particular collaborative challenge, as part of Future Finance, was designed to address issues and consider requirements relevant for cryptoasset advisory and investment services that financial advisors may wish to offer or explore in the future, subject to requirements in the FCA’s cryptoasset regulatory roadmap. The export group considered key developments impacting the sector and held a discussion on potential outcomes and actions for firms to consider.

Oliver Woodhouse, Ashfords’ financial services regulatory lead, said:

“Future Finance has a clear mission to support UK SMEs in the sector to grow and take opportunities to innovate, operationally and in servicing customers – the challenge topic, focused on cryptoasset developments, is of great interest given the significant regulatory change on the horizon, which will impact UK and overseas firms operating in the space."