Cryptoassets 

AML legislation has increasingly been extended to certain cryptoasset activities. Businesses providing specified cryptoasset exchange or custody services may be required to register with regulators and implement AML controls similar to those applying in traditional financial services.

The 2026 amendments further align the AML framework for cryptoasset businesses with the wider UK financial services regulatory regime and introduce additional due diligence requirements in certain higher-risk cryptoasset contexts.

For most ordinary businesses, however, the practical impact remains limited unless cryptoassets form a significant part of their operations or investment activities.

Trust registration 

The UK has trust registration requirements intended to improve transparency regarding trust ownership and control.

The 2026 amendments make targeted changes to the Trust Registration Service, seeking to close identified gaps while also introducing certain exemptions intended to reduce burdens on some lower-risk trust arrangements.

The practical impact is greatest for trustees and professional advisers involved in trust administration. While some businesses may encounter trusts as shareholders, investors or property owners, trust registration obligations generally affect a narrower group of persons than the broader AML framework.