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Risk Warning - Notice to UK Users  

Estimated reading time: 2 mins

Due to the potential for losses, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) considers this investment to be high risk.

What are the key risks?

1.You could lose all the money you invest

The performance of most cryptoassets can be highly volatile, with their value dropping as quickly as it can rise. You should be prepared to lose all the money you invest in crypto assets.

The crypto asset market is largely unregulated. There is a risk of losing money or any cryptoassets you purchase due to risks such as cyber-attacks, financial crime and firm failure.

2.You should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong

The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) doesn’t protect this type of investment because it’s not a ‘specified investment’ under the UK regulatory regime – in other words, this type of investment isn’t recognised as the sort of investment that the FSCS can protect. Learn more by using the FSCS investment protection checker here.

The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) will not be able to consider complaints related to this firm. Learn more about FOS protection here.

3.You may not be able to sell your investment when you want to

There is no guarantee that investments in crypto assets can be easily sold at any given time. The ability to sell a crypto asset depends on various factors, including the supply and demand in the market at that time.

Operational failings such as technology outages, cyber-attacks and comingling of funds could cause unwanted delay and you may be unable to sell your crypto assets at the time you want.

4.Cryptoasset investments can be complex

Investments in crypto assets can be complex, making it difficult to understand the risks associated with the investment.

You should do your own research before investing. If something sounds too good to be true, itprobably is.

5.Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

Putting all your money into a single type of investment is risky. Spreading your money across different investments makes you less dependent on any one to do well.

A good rule of thumb is not to invest more than 10% of your money in high-risk investments. Learn more here.

If you are interested in learning more about how to protect yourself, visit the FCA’s website here.

For further information about cryptoassets, visit the FCA’s website here.

How is my money guaranteed under the E-money licence?

Understanding the regulations and guarantees in place to ensure the safety of your funds. Discover how the e-money license protects your financial interests.

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In this article, we’re guiding you through the intricacies of the e-money licence: what it means, who needs one and of course, how it affects you, the consumer. This new wave of regulation has been put into place to not only safeguard the consumer but also to put measures in place to identify and stop fraudulent activity. 

What Is Electronic Money (E-money)?

Before we dive into the licencing requirements, let us first take a look at what electronic money is defined as. Essentially, e-money is a digital version of cash. It maintains a monetary value that can be used to make payments and various transactions, typically over the internet, or through a phone or card. 

E-money products are either software-based or hardware-based and are responsible for electronically storing the monetary value. Software-based products are used on computers and tablets and require an internet connection (like PayPal for example) while hardware-based products encompass cards that have a chip card and do not require an online connection (for example, Square). 

What Is An E-money Licence? 

The e-money licence is a regulatory licence that authorises an electronic money institution (EMI) to conduct business. EMIs represent the digitisation of financial services and are authorized to issue money as well as provide payment cards, e-wallets, and IBAN accounts. While banks may provide a similar service, they require an alternative licence as they are able to provide a greater range of services.

 In a nutshell, an EMI is considered as such if it engages in the issuing and redeeming of electronic money (e-money), cash withdrawal, deposit and payment services, remittance services, debit or credit transfers, payment initiation and execution services, and account information services. They may conduct these services only if they have the proper licensing.

How Does It Protect The Consumer?

While regulation and consumer protection are the driving force behind e-money licences, there are also several other reasons as to why the regulatory framework has been put into place. The licence is designed to provide businesses with the opportunity to gain access to the e-money market, to facilitate innovation in secure e-money services, and to build healthy competition in a secure market. 

E-money licences are obtained to safeguard a consumer’s funds should the EMI become insolvent. This operates in an entirely different manner to a banking licence. Under the proper regulation, EMI’s can choose to do either of the following options to safeguard consumer funds (funds provided by customers in exchange for the issuance of e-money):

  • deposit the funds into a segregated client’s funds account with an authorised credit institution, or
  • acquire insurance that will cover the risks associated with the client’s funds.

This ensures that the consumer is always protected against loss of funds, and will be compensated accordingly should the situation present itself. It is imperative that consumers only choose EMIs with the correct e-money licences. 

How Much Money Is Protected With The E-Money Licence? 

According to the FCA regulations, the EMI is responsible for establishing the appropriate organisational arrangements to ensure that the safeguarded funds are at all times protected. 

As mentioned above, this can be done by either storing the deposited customer funds in a separate account (different from the institution’s working capital and other funds) or by ensuring that they are covered by an appropriate insurance policy or comparable guarantee. 

While licenced banks work in conjunction with the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) and only insure users up to £85,000, EMIs are required to protect 100% of the consumers’ funds. 

According to the licence, EMIs are required to safeguard all funds deposited on the platform and not just a portion as per the licence required by the banks. 

While EMIs take several other precautions to protect consumer funds, the e-money licence ensures that the most fundamental legal requirements are met, granting the company the right to legally operate.  

Disclaimer

This article is for general information purposes only and is not intended to constitute legal or other professional advice or a recommendation of any kind whatsoever and should not be relied upon or treated as a substitute for specific advice relevant to particular circumstances. We make no warranties, representations or undertakings about any of the content of this article (including, without limitation, as to the quality, accuracy, completeness or fitness for any particular purpose of such content), or any content of any other material referred to or accessed by hyperlinks through this article. We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether express or implied, that the content on our site is accurate, complete or up-to-date.

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