EU Firms Leverage MiCA, While UK Prepares for Emerging Rules
Financial institutions in Europe and the UK are investing heavily in digital asset infrastructure, but regulation is shaping their priorities in different ways.
The Fireblocks 2026 Financial Grid survey found near-unanimous confidence in regulatory support for digital assets among European and UK financial institutions. Some 99% of continental European institutions and every UK respondent expect policy to support digital asset adoption.
However, the difference lies in execution. Europe's Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation (MiCA) has given firms a defined framework, with 53% of continental institutions having committed funding before 2026, compared to a global average of 42%. In contrast, only 36% of UK firms had already set budgets.
As UK firms plan to commit £59 billion in new digital asset funding by 2026, they are preparing for rules still taking shape. European institutions, on the other hand, see practical infrastructure as the main barrier to faster adoption, citing reliable connections between digital assets and fiat currencies as a key priority.
While both markets are concentrating first on the financial system's plumbing, Europe is moving faster into tokenized investment products. Some 62% of European institutions plan to use tokenized money-market funds, compared with 45% in the UK.