A coalition of leading financial and technology bodies has urged the UK Government to embed distributed ledger technology (DLT) within the UK-US Tech Bridge, describing it as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to shape the future of global finance.
In a letter sent to the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Rt Hon Peter Kyle MP, the group said the partnership offered a chance for the UK and US to “set global standards for digital finance, strengthen transatlantic markets, foster interoperability and ensure our firms lead the next wave of innovation”.
The signatories included the UK Cryptoasset Business Council (UKCBC), Global Digital Finance, TheCityUK, techUK, UK Finance, the Payments Association, and the Crypto Council for Innovation, alongside senior representatives from the City of London Corporation, AIMA, and the International Digital Assets Counsel.
They argued that DLT was driving “the next generation of financial services and infrastructure,” and said its benefits included “improving capital flows, facilitating faster and cheaper payments, driving efficiencies and productivity, and widening financial inclusion”.
The letter emphasised the strategic importance of tokenisation and stablecoins, describing them as “two strategically relevant and important sectors for the US and UK economies”. It noted that London’s role in foreign exchange—handling nearly 40% of global FX turnover—demonstrated the UK’s “unmatched expertise in cross-border financial flows”, while the US “anchors the world’s largest capital pool and remains at the forefront of digital asset innovation”.
The coalition warned that excluding digital assets from the Tech Bridge would be a “missed opportunity,” and said it “risks leaving Britain on the sidelines while others – particularly in the Middle East and Asia – move ahead in setting the standards that will shape the future of finance”.
They called for full political backing of a joint sandbox initiative, led by regulators, to ensure that the emerging rules-based system reflected “our shared values of openness, transparency, and innovation”.
The letter also referenced the Chancellor’s Mansion House speech, stating that the UK and US could “leverage each other’s regulatory weight, financial heritage and legal excellence to facilitate cross-border commerce, anchor global standards, and attract the next wave of capital and talent”.
The group said it supported the government’s ambition to “grasp the opportunities of new technologies” and the Chancellor’s commitment to “drive forward developments in blockchain technology, including tokenised securities and stablecoins”.
They added: “Now is the time to make this a reality – a platform to deliver,” and stated their readiness to collaborate with government to “secure Britain’s role as the world’s leading hub for digital financial innovation”.
