UK banks received over 10,000 complaints about blocked crypto transfers within 90 days

According to Decrypt, the crypto advocacy group Stand With Crypto released data showing that, between May and August 2026—a 90-day period—UK bank customers submitted a total of 10,092 complaints via the group’s online complaint tool, involving 9,803 unique complainants. All complaints centered on the same issue: banks unilaterally blocking or restricting transfers to cryptocurrency platforms officially registered with the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). By bank, Lloyds Banking Group topped the list with 2,297 complaints—over 22% of the total—but has yet to publicly disclose its specific restrictive policies regarding crypto-related transfers. Barclays received 1,569 complaints, NatWest Group 1,278, and HSBC UK over 1,000. Stand With Crypto is urging banks to abandon blanket restrictions and instead adopt risk-based, case-by-case assessment frameworks for handling crypto-related transactions.