The Bank of England wants to put a leash on stablecoins. In its recent proposal, it suggested limiting how much individuals and businesses can hold in “systemic” stablecoins; roughly £10,000–£20,000 for individuals, and £10 million for firms.

The stated reason? Financial stability. The BoE fears that, without guardrails, stablecoins could trigger large outflows from traditional banks. That could weaken credit availability and destabilize the system, especially if people rapidly pull money out of deposits and into digital alternatives.

The proposal isn’t final, and the central bank calls it a “transitional” measure. A public consultation is expected later this year.

The pushback has been loud

The crypto industry isn’t buying it.

Coinbase and other industry players argue that this move would leave the UK out of step with the US and EU—neither of which imposes ownership limits on stablecoins. They also argue that enforcement would be a nightmare. Unlike bank accounts, stablecoins are held in wallets that issuers can’t always track. Monitoring balances across wallets would require intrusive systems like digital IDs or constant syncing—expensive, complex, and possibly incompatible with how crypto is designed to function.

Others point out the inconsistency. Why should there be a cap on stablecoins when no such limits exist on cash or bank accounts?

A wider regulatory tension

The proposal also highlights a bigger disconnect. On one hand, the UK government (especially the Treasury) wants to promote digital finance. On the other, the BoE is leaning toward caution and control. These caps would sit at the heart of that tension—between innovation and systemic safety.

Meanwhile, the US is pushing stablecoin legislation focused on issuer regulation and reserve backing. The EU’s MiCA rules also avoid balance caps and instead focus on transparency, risk, and redemption rights. The UK’s more conservative stance may end up isolating it, especially if other jurisdictions are more welcoming to stablecoin-based payments and commerce.

The outcome of the upcoming consultation will tell us which direction the UK chooses. But the message is clear: how a country regulates stablecoins may be just as strategic as how it regulates banks.

Key takeaways for fintech startups

• The BoE’s proposed stablecoin caps could impact startups building in payments, wallets, or digital assets in the UK.
  
  
• Enforcement could add major complexity, especially around wallet tracking, identity verification, or cross-border flows.
  
  
• The caps may clash with pro-innovation signals from the UK Treasury, creating regulatory uncertainty in the near term.
  
  
• Other jurisdictions (like the US and EU) are taking a different approach; potentially giving UK-based firms a reason to look abroad.
  
  
• The regulatory environment is still evolving, with a consultation due later this year. Now is the time to shape the conversation.

If your fintech startup is navigating regulation in the UK or beyond, Your Fintech Story can help you translate uncertainty into opportunity. Get in touch.

Belgium-based regulatory technology firm RiskConcile has acquired London-headquartered Fitz Partners, a specialist provider of fund fees and expense data, in a move to expand its offerings across Europe. The deal marks the first step in RiskConcile’s international “buy-and-build” growth strategy since the company received backing from Main Capital Partners in June 2024. By joining forces, RiskConcile and Fitz Partners plan to create a pan-European platform that combines advanced regulatory reporting tools with proprietary fund data capabilities to better serve asset managers in the fund industry.

Fitz Partners: A leading fund data specialist

Founded in 2013, Fitz Partners has built a reputation as a leading provider of fund fee and expense data for the European asset management sector. The firm’s comprehensive databases and reports offer meticulously calculated, independently verified breakdowns of fund costs, enabling asset managers to conduct precise cost reviews and make informed strategic decisions.

Fitz Partners counts over 65 of the world’s largest asset and fund management companies among its clients, reflecting its strong position in the UK and cross-border fund markets. The company is also expanding its coverage to new regions – it plans to extend its fee data and board reporting services to the local French fund market in the coming months. This growing repository of fee data adds a valuable component to RiskConcile’s technology toolkit, which until now has focused primarily on regulatory reporting and risk calculations.

Synergies driven by regulatory pressures

The acquisition comes at a time of intensifying regulatory pressures and rising transparency expectations in the European funds industry. Asset managers are facing ever-stricter reporting requirements and investor demands, from cost disclosure rules to value-for-money assessments. High-quality, granular fund data has become a critical foundation for both compliance and competitive advantage, as it allows deeper insights and faster responses to evolving regulatory mandates.

By integrating Fitz Partners’ rich fee and expense datasets with RiskConcile’s cloud-based regulatory reporting and risk calculation platform, the combined group aims to deliver an all-in-one solution for asset managers who need efficient and reliable tools to meet these challenges. In practical terms, asset management firms could benefit from a more streamlined process – for example, using Fitz’s fee benchmarks alongside RiskConcile’s analytics to quickly ensure their funds meet new transparency standards or investor disclosure obligations.

The leaders of both companies underscored the strategic fit and benefits for clients. RiskConcile’s Co-Founder and CEO Jan De Spiegeleer noted that Fitz Partners’ proprietary fee database and reporting expertise are a strong addition to RiskConcile’s platform, saying the combined entity is “uniquely positioned to help asset managers and fund management companies navigate an increasingly complex regulatory landscape with greater efficiency, insight and confidence.”

Hugues Gillibert, Founder and CEO of Fitz Partners, echoed this sentiment, expressing that he is pleased to join forces with RiskConcile in a way that allows Fitz to continue its expansion while maintaining its culture of excellence. He highlighted the immense synergies between the firms and looks forward to providing even greater support and market intelligence to their UK and cross-border clients, with an eye toward continued growth and new local market coverage in the years ahead.

Outlook: Building a pan-European regtech leader

Industry observers note that this deal reflects a broader trend of consolidation in financial technology, where firms are combining data analytics with compliance tools to offer end-to-end solutions. For RiskConcile, which is now a Main Capital Partners portfolio company, the Fitz Partners acquisition is a significant step toward its ambition of becoming a pan-European leader in regulatory technology for the fund sector.

Jorn de Ruijter, Investment Director at Main Capital and Chairman of RiskConcile’s board, said the acquisition “perfectly aligns with our strategy to build market-leading software groups” and that the combination creates a stronger, more comprehensive organization. He also emphasized that it reinforces Main’s ability to execute cross-border deals in strategic markets like the UK.

Looking ahead, the integration of Fitz Partners’ data with RiskConcile’s platform could give clients a one-stop shop for regulatory reporting and cost analytics, potentially simplifying compliance workflows. This move is also likely not the last for RiskConcile – as the first acquisition in a planned series, it signals the start of an expansion drive across Europe. With Main Capital’s backing and a stated “buy-and-build” strategy, RiskConcile may pursue additional acquisitions or partnerships to broaden its software suite and geographic reach. Asset managers can expect a more robust suite of tools from the combined company, and the fund industry at large will be watching to see how this newly enlarged group competes in delivering data-driven insights and regulatory technology amid an increasingly complex oversight environment.

Key takeaways for fintech startups

Here’s what fintech founders can learn from this move:

• Specializing in a narrow, high-value domain like fund fees and expenses can create defensible differentiation and attract major clients.
  
  
• Strategic acquisitions work best when the companies are complementary; in this case, data meets delivery platform.
  
  
• International presence adds acquisition value. Fitz’s UK and cross-border exposure made it a strong fit for a pan-European expansion strategy.
  
  
• Proprietary, clean data is becoming a key differentiator in regtech. It enables insight, not just automation.
  
  
• The right capital partner doesn’t just provide funding; it enables faster growth, stronger positioning, and more ambitious moves.

Need help growing your fintech or positioning for expansion?

We help startups grow from strategy to execution. Let’s talk.

Startup founders across Europe are still running into the same financial roadblocks: slow account approvals, fragmented tools, and hours lost to manual admin. Dublin-based fintech Seapoint has raised a $3 million pre-seed round to tackle these problems head-on, launching a platform it calls the “financial home” for startups.

Founders Caught Between Legacy Banks and Neobanks

Seapoint’s founder Sean Mullaney, a former Stripe executive, points to a growing gap in startup financial services. Traditional banks often view young, pre-revenue companies as risky. Neobanks, designed for the masses, offer automated accounts but little support. Founders report waiting months for basic banking access or dealing with robotic support teams.

This forces startups to patch together a messy stack of tools. Mullaney found that most juggle 4–6 providers just to manage money. Founders waste hours on payroll, invoice approvals, and tax prep. Some even forget to pay staff or rely on spreadsheets for visibility. For early-stage teams, this “financial overhead” is costly and distracting.

A Platform Designed for Founders

Seapoint aims to eliminate that burden. Its product combines multi-currency accounts, corporate cards, international payments, and treasury tools in one interface. It connects to founders’ existing banks, accounting platforms, CRMs, and even Gmail to deliver a real-time financial overview.

Routine tasks are automated. Gmail invoices become one-click payments. Payroll runs in bulk. VAT and expense categorisation happen in the background. What used to take hours is handled in minutes.

Crucially, Seapoint offers real human support. Each customer gets a dedicated relationship manager who understands startup structures, venture capital, and scaling. Not a chatbot – a person who knows your business.

Backed by Leading Fintech Angels

The $3 million round was led by Frontline Ventures, with participation from Tapestry VC, Andrena Ventures, Angel Invest, Nomad Capital, and fintech angels like Claire Hughes Johnson (ex-Stripe), Laurence Krieger (ex-Revolut, Tide), and Colm Long (ex-Tines).

The team includes engineers and operators from Stripe and Tide, many of whom have been founders themselves. Seapoint is currently in private beta with early-stage companies in the UK and Europe. A public launch is expected later this year.

Longer term, the company plans to expand into serving mid-sized tech firms that have outgrown neobanks but still find traditional banking rigid and inefficient.

Key takeaways for fintech startups

Here’s what other founders can learn from Seapoint’s approach:

• Start with a sharp use case: Seapoint focuses tightly on venture-backed startups, avoiding the bloat of one-size-fits-all banking.
  
  
• Integrate before you replace: Instead of requiring startups to abandon tools, Seapoint integrates with Gmail, CRMs, and accounting platforms.
  
  
• Automate the boring stuff, not the relationship: The product handles repetitive tasks but still offers high-touch support.
  
  
• Founders are users, not buyers: Targeting them means building for usability, not just compliance.
  
  
• Fixing infrastructure is back in vogue: Fintechs solving operational pain points are seeing renewed investor interest.

If your fintech startup is tackling a real pain point and wants help shaping the story, Your Fintech Story is here to support you. Let’s talk.