TLDR
- Stand With Crypto recorded 10,092 complaints from 9,803 people over 90 days between May and August 2026.
- Lloyds, Barclays and NatWest drew 5,144 complaints, about 51% of the total.
- Customers reported blocked payments even at banks with no published crypto limits.
- The complaints are self-selected and do not show actual rejection rates.
- The UK plans a new crypto regime in October 2027, but bank payment access remains a separate issue.
Banks in the United Kingdom received 10,092 complaints over restrictions on cryptocurrency payments in a 90-day period. The complaints came as the government works to attract digital asset businesses to the country.
LATEST: 🏦 UK bank customers filed 10,092 complaints in 90 days over blocked or restricted transfers to crypto exchanges, according to a new report from advocacy group Stand With Crypto. pic.twitter.com/0djo4ohx5X
— CoinMarketCap (@CoinMarketCap) October 21, 2026
Advocacy group Stand With Crypto reported that 9,803 people used its online tool between May and August 2026. The submissions came from all 650 parliamentary constituencies.
Which banks drew the most complaints
Lloyds Banking Group received 2,297 complaints. That figure covers customers of Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland, and equals about 23% of the total.
Barclays followed with 1,569, and NatWest Group received 1,278. Together the three groups drew 5,144 complaints, or about 51%. HSBC UK received more than 1,000, while Virgin Money recorded 103 and the Co-operative Bank 76.
Lloyds stood out because it has no published policy limiting crypto transfers. That finding comes from the group’s review of bank websites as of August 28. Revolut also had no published restrictions, yet its customers reported payment problems.
How bank limits compare
Some banks publish clear limits. Barclays and HSBC UK allow transfers of up to £2,500 per transaction, with a £10,000 cap over 30 days.
NatWest sets limits of £1,000 per day and £5,000 over 30 days. Santander UK has a £1,000 per transaction ceiling and a £3,000 monthly limit.
Starling Bank, Chase UK, TSB, Metro Bank, Virgin Money and the Co-operative Bank were listed as prohibiting crypto payments.
Banks with published limits accounted for 6,198 complaints, about 61%. Another 2,842 involved banks with no stated restrictions, and 989 concerned banks with outright bans. The remaining 63 fell outside those groups.
The figures come with limits. Stand With Crypto collected complaints from people who chose to use its tool. The data was not adjusted for each bank’s customer base, so a higher count does not prove a higher complaint rate.
Barclays has defended its restrictions as a way to protect customers from crypto scams and financial losses. Banks must assess fraud and financial crime risks when they process payments.
Katie Harries, Coinbase’s head of European policy, said a country cannot invite innovators in while allowing banks to lock consumers out. She said Coinbase is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority but faces the same blanket restrictions as the wider sector.
Harries cited research from the UK Cryptoasset Business Council. It found that 40% of attempted transfers to FCA-registered exchanges were blocked or delayed over the prior 12 months.
Stand With Crypto wants banks to publish clear explanations of their policies and give customers ways to challenge blocked transfers. It argues that industry-wide restrictions go beyond proportionate risk management.
The group has asked the FCA and HM Treasury to clarify when such restrictions can be justified. Its report did not measure how many crypto purchases succeeded or how many complaints banks upheld.
In August, a cross-party parliamentary group questioned bank executives about their treatment of crypto firms. The FCA’s application window for the new regime opened on September 30, 2026, and runs through February 28, 2027, ahead of the planned October 2027 start.
