Home Blog Page 1098

FCA launches review into implications of advanced AI

info@uweb3.io
-
0
FCA launches review into implications of advanced AI

The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority has launched a review into the implications of advanced AI on consumers, retail financial markets and regulators, inviting views from firms, consumer groups, tech providers and academics on four key themes.

Editorial

This content has been selected, created and edited by the Finextra editorial team based upon its relevance and interest to our community.

The Review will be led by Sheldon Mills and builds on the FCA’s existing work on AI. This includes its AI Discussion Paper, AI Sprint, and AI Lab including AI Live Testing and its groundbreaking Supercharged Sandbox supported by Nvidia.

The watchdog says rapid advances in generative, agentic and emerging forms of AI mean the next phase of change could be profound, having the power to reshape markets, change the way firms compete and how consumers use retail financial services.

Says Mills: “AI is already shaping financial services, but its longer-term effects may be more far-reaching. This review will consider how emerging uses of AI could influence consumers, markets and firms, looking towards 2030 and beyond.

“By taking a forward-looking view, the review will help the FCA continue to support innovation while promoting the safe and trusted adoption of AI in retail financial services.”

He says the FCA wants to understand how AI could evolve in the future, including the development of more autonomous and agentic systems and how these developments could affect markets and firms.

The review will also assess the impact on consumers – including how consumers will be influenced by AI but also influence financial markets through new expectations – and on how financial regulators may need to evolve to continue ensuring that retail financial markets work well.

Feedback will shape a series of recommendations to be reported to the FCA Board in summer 2026, culminating in an external publication.

The deadline for comments is Tuesday 24 February 2026.

Animoca Japan, RootstockLabs Partner to Bring Bitcoin DeFi to Corporates

info@uweb3.io
-
0
Animoca Japan, RootstockLabs Partner to Bring Bitcoin DeFi to Corporates

Animoca Brands Japan has partnered with RootstockLabs to introduce Bitcoin-native decentralized finance (DeFi) tools to Japanese corporations and institutions.

The collaboration aims to localize and deploy Rootstock’s institutional program for the Japanese market, enabling companies to manage Bitcoin (BTC) as part of their corporate treasury strategies while accessing onchain financial tools secured by Bitcoin’s proof-of-work (PoW), according to a Tuesday announcement shared with Cointelegraph.

“In Japan, an increasing number of companies are beginning to utilize cryptoassets as part of their financial and treasury strategies,” said Kensuke Amo, CEO of Animoca Brands Japan. “Through this partnership, Animoca Brands Japan and RootstockLabs will support corporate adoption of cryptoassets in a manner compliant with Japan’s regulatory environment.”

Rootstock is a Bitcoin sidechain secured by a majority of Bitcoin’s total hash power through merged mining. The design allows Rootstock to inherit Bitcoin’s security while supporting Ethereum-compatible smart contracts. RootstockLabs is a core contributor to Rootstock.

Related: From 55% to 20%? How Japan plans to fix its crypto tax rules

Animoca Japan, RootstockLabs eye Bitcoin treasury services

The partnership will focus on helping Japanese companies manage Bitcoin as part of their treasury operations, including exploring Bitcoin-based financial tools and services built on Rootstock. The companies said they will also look at ways businesses could use these tools to improve treasury efficiency, while staying within Japan’s regulatory framework.