UK Financial Service Provider to Coinbase, Bitstamp Awarded FCA Payments License Published by Daniel Palmer coindesk.com CoinDesk A company that provides financial services for cryptocurrency companies like Coinbase, Bitstamp and Galaxy Digital has been awarded a payments license by the U.K.'s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). London-based BCB Group announced the news Wednesday, saying its subsidiary, BCB Payments Ltd., is now the "first and only crypto-focused" company to have be registered as an Authorised Payment Institution in the U.K. With British banks reluctant to engage with crypto firms, BCB is one of few options available. The company told CoinDesk that it has now been "upgraded" to an Authorised Payment Institution license, meaning the firm is now regulated by the FCA. "This regulatory approval for our firm, a leading crypto-dedicated payment service provider, is a testament to how we’re able to push ahead with digital asset innovation while remaining in full compliance with some of the most stringent regulations in force globally’," said Oliver von Landsberg-Sadie, founder and CEO of BCB Group.