For more than a century, the United States and the United Kingdom have been amongst the most influential nations in finance, working together to create the playbook for global trade and markets. Today, that partnership is entering a new phase as both countries commit to closer cooperation on digital assets—a gambit that could further entrench Washington and London at the vanguard of global finance, even as hubs like Singapore and Dubai emerge as formidable challengers.
This latest U.S.-UK tie-up comes via the recent creation of the Transatlantic Taskforce for Markets of the Future, which calls for joint recommendations on digital assets and capital markets within six months. The new body signals that the countries recognize that alignment—not isolation—is critical at a time when the likes of Singapore, Dubai and others are already seeing the financial and economic benefits of an inclusive approach to crypto regulation.
The new taskforce brings together both banks and crypto firms, underscoring how central digital assets have become to the future of markets. Stablecoins, blockchain infrastructure, and programmable digital securities are no longer fringe concepts. They are fast becoming the backbone of 21st-century financial innovation.
Why This Matters Now
The US and UK are at pivotal moments. In the US, Congress is advancing legislation to establish a stablecoin and digital asset framework. In the UK, the Financial Conduct Authority and Bank of England are designing rules under FSMA 2023, laying the groundwork for robust regimes around stablecoins and distributed ledgers.
Legislators and regulators in both countries are in rare bipartisan agreement on the benefits of crypto and blockchain. The fact that President Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent are engaging on the issue underscores their belief in how critical this technology will be. Likewise, England’s main financial regulators—the Financial Conduct Authority and Bank of England—as well as Chancellor Reeves are actively creating regulatory frameworks and working groups. They have even taken the step of allowing at least six major banks to launch pilot programs for tokenized crypto deposits, while increasing collaboration with highly regulated markets like Singapore to assess the impact crypto can have on global trade.
By aligning now, both countries can set a global precedent – encouraging others to work across borders to build a more efficient, accessible, and stable financial system. This is not just about economics. It is about ensuring the next generation of payments and infrastructure are efficient, secure, and widely available.
Recent discussions about joint digital sandboxes and shared oversight show how practical cooperation can take shape. Just as the UK’s Faster Payments System redefined real-time settlement, and Wall Street pioneered financial instruments that reshaped markets, a joint effort on stablecoins and digital currencies could anchor the next era of global innovation.
I write this as someone who has spent the past decade building OKX into one of the world’s largest regulated crypto exchanges, with licensed operations across the US, EU, Middle East, and Asia. From this vantage point, I see how quickly digital assets are moving from the periphery of finance into the mainstream.
History shows that financial leadership is sustained by openness to innovation. Properly regulated stablecoins and robust blockchain infrastructure are not threats to systemic stability; they are the new building blocks of trust in the digital economy. Both the US and UK already recognize this.
The opportunity is huge when it comes to stablecoins. Properly regulated, they create a bridge between traditional money and blockchain-based systems, offering trust at the core while unlocking efficiency at the edges.
In the US, proposed legislation mandates 1:1 fiat reserves. In the UK, regulators are moving toward high-quality backing requirements, though final rules remain under consultation. Stablecoins could become a reliable medium of exchange once these regimes are live. More importantly, by operating on blockchains, they can dramatically lower the cost of remittances, payroll, and B2B trade – giving companies of all sizes greater liquidity and competitiveness.
Digital ledger technology is the foundation of this transformation. Its transparency and interoperability can reduce risk in clearing and settlement, improve auditability, and give regulators better tools for oversight. Together, stablecoins and blockchain infrastructure could reinvigorate financial systems in both countries, ensuring they remain leaders in the future of global finance.
Chancellor Reeves and Treasury Secretary Bessent have laid out an aggressive 180-day sprint to identify the first areas of crypto collaboration. I, for one, look forward to the findings. If London and Washington succeed, the entire world stands to benefit.
Star Xu is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of crypto exchange OKX, and a frequent commentator on how crypto and digital finance can strengthen transparency, efficiency, and competitiveness in the global economy.