FCA Registration Opens Door for First U.K. Pound Stablecoin - Crypto Economy

TL;DR

• Agant registered with the FCA under U.K. AML rules, enabling it to proceed with GBPA, a pound-denominated stablecoin inside today’s framework.
• GBPA is fully backed 1:1, targets institutional payments, settlement flows and tokenized asset markets, and in practice uses open banking for near-instant sterling conversions.
• GBPA is planned for Ethereum and Solana as the FCA’s 2026 agenda moves toward a permanent framework by summer 2026, with roughly 50 firms registered.

Agant, a U.K.-based stablecoin issuer, secured registration with the Financial Conduct Authority as a cryptoasset business under the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing, and Transfer of Funds Regulations. The approval turns GBPA from a plan into a compliant launch-ready product. With that registration, Agant can proceed with GBPA, a pound-denominated stablecoin, and operate within the U.K.’s current anti-money laundering framework, a status held by only a limited set of firms. This milestone places Agant on the register.

GBPA’s Institutional Design and U.K. Timeline

GBPA is structured as a fully backed digital representation of the British pound, using a 1:1 reserve model. The positioning is explicitly institutional, prioritizing settlement certainty over retail distribution. Agant says the stablecoin is aimed at institutional payments, settlement flows, and tokenized asset markets, where tight controls and predictable redemption matter. The product’s design frames GBPA as infrastructure for market plumbing rather than a consumer wallet feature. In short, it targets institutions moving sterling at scale.


Agant has integrated open banking infrastructure to support direct fiat-to-digital conversions for institutions. The core promise is minimal friction when moving between bank rails and blockchain rails. The issuer says its system is designed to enable near-instant conversion between sterling and its tokenized equivalent, so settlement can happen without extended reconciliation cycles. For institutional users, that design targets faster operational workflows while keeping conversions anchored to traditional payments plumbing. It supports direct sterling on and off-ramps.

Interoperability is another pillar of the rollout. GBPA is being positioned to travel wherever institutional tokenized markets are actually operating. Agant says the stablecoin will run across multiple blockchain networks, including Ethereum and Solana, which would let institutions choose rails based on integration and settlement preferences. A multi-chain footprint also supports workflows that span different venues while keeping the unit of account anchored to sterling reserves. That flexibility is intended to reduce fragmentation across token flows.

Agant’s timing intersects with the FCA’s broader 2026 digital finance agenda, where stablecoin payments and tokenized financial infrastructure are priority areas ahead of a permanent framework expected by summer 2026. Early AML registration positions GBPA on the compliant track as the U.K. framework formalizes. With the approval, Agant joins roughly 50 firms authorized under the cryptoasset registration regime, alongside recent registrants such as Blockchain.com in February 2026. The expanding roster signals gradual market formalization for now.