Barclays has joined a rising checklist of UK banks imposing restrictions on crypto transactions after blocking its clients from buying cryptocurrencies with their bank cards.
Saying the transfer on its Barclaycard web site, Barclays stated, “From 27 June 2025, we’ll block crypto-transactions made with a Barclaycard as a result of we recognise there are specific dangers with buying crypto-currencies.”
The financial institution went on to elucidate that it has imposed the block as a result of a decline in cryptocurrency costs may land its clients in debt, whereas including that digital belongings aren’t lined by present banking and monetary protections.
Barclays transfer comes after stories that the UK’s monetary regulator, the Monetary Conduct Authority, is looking for to introduce a blanket ban on all cryptocurrency purchases involving credit score.
Outlining its issues in a dialogue paper, the FCA stated, “We’re involved that buyers shopping for crypto belongings with credit score could tackle unsustainable debt, notably if the worth of their crypto asset drops and so they have been counting on its worth to repay.”
The identical paper additionally cited a YouGov survey which discovered that 14% of UK-based cryptocurrency traders had used some sort of bank card or credit score facility to buy crypto as of August 2024, up from 6% in August 2022.
Barclays choice to cease its clients utilizing their bank cards for cryptocurrency transactions additionally comes after related strikes by Chase UK, HSBC and Nationwide in 2023.
In Nationwide’s case, it set a £5,000 (roughly $6,860) spending restrict on crypto funds utilizing debit playing cards, which come instantly from a buyer’s checking account.
Going even additional, Chase UK prevented its clients from making any sort of transaction to cryptocurrency exchanges and providers, whether or not from a buyer’s credit score or debit card.
This crosses a line for some cryptocurrency specialists, with analyst and creator Glen Goodman telling Decrypt that, whereas he can sympathize with a financial institution stopping using credit score for crypto purchases, he doesn’t suppose it’s proper that it may well cease somebody from spending their very own cash.
“If Barclaycard would not need to lend cash to crypto merchants, that is as much as them,” he stated. “They should handle their very own danger as they see match, and so they make a very good level that crypto losses are by no means lined by the monetary providers compensation scheme.”
Nevertheless, Goodman added that it actually “annoys” him when UK banks refuse to let individuals ship their very own cash from their very own checking account to a crypto buying and selling account.
“And that occurs extra typically than you would possibly suppose,” he provides.
UK banks blocking crypto purchases
Certainly, some UK banks—corresponding to Barclays and Lloyds—have prevented transfers of any type to Binance for a number of years now, whereas TSB and Santander have banned all crypto purchases since 2021 and 2022, respectively.
Regardless of concerning such actions as examples of overreach, Goodman does warning in opposition to utilizing debt to commerce cryptocurrency, given the dangers concerned.
“Skilled crypto merchants typically borrow cash to commerce, simply as superior inventory market merchants do,” he says. “But it surely takes talent to handle your danger sensibly and plenty of merchants go broke after they get it unsuitable.”
