Coinbase Head Argues UK Needs Regulated Route for DeFi Access

The UK faces a choice regarding decentralized finance (DeFi) development: regulated gateways or isolation. While DeFi offers cheaper, faster, and accessible financial services without intermediaries, the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) proposed crypto rules may effectively block access by requiring regulated platforms to only execute customer orders on FCA-authorized venues, which decentralized protocols lack. This risk could prevent regulated platforms from offering DeFi integrations from October 2027, hindering the UK's goal to lead in digital assets, unlike the EU and US which are exploring regulated DeFi access.