Push by Aave Labs Receives FCA Approval to Launch Zero-Fee On- and Off-Ramping Services in the UK

WHY THIS MATTERS

The announcement on May 28, 2026, that Aave Labs subsidiaries Push Labs Limited and Push Virtual Assets Limited have secured official cryptoasset exchange provider registrations from the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) marks a definitive milestone in the institutionalization of Decentralized Finance (DeFi). Aave is the world’s largest decentralized liquidity protocol, commanding over $12 billion in Total Value Locked (TVL). Historically, DeFi ecosystems have operated on purely decentralized, non-custodial rails, deliberately separated from traditional retail financial regulations.

By pairing these new FCA crypto registrations with the group’s existing Electronic Money Institution (EMI) authorization, Aave Labs is assembling a highly protective, dual-permissioned regulatory moat in the UK. This infrastructure addresses the absolute biggest roadblock preventing mainstream consumers from migrating onto public blockchains: the high cost, technical complexity, and regulatory uncertainty of moving capital between traditional bank accounts and onchain ledgers. By controlling both the fiat issuance rail (EMI) and the digital asset exchange rail (FCA Crypto Registration), Aave Labs can offer seamless, zero-fee on-and-off ramping services. This allows retail users to instantly swap British Pounds for stablecoins or cryptoassets without losing margins to predatory third-party payment processors.

Push Labs Limited and Push Virtual Assets Limited (together “Push”), both UK subsidiaries of Aave Labs, today announced that they have received approval from the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for their applications to register as a cryptoasset exchange provider in the UK. As the UK’s financial services regulator, the FCA is responsible for safeguarding market integrity, protecting consumers, and promoting effective competition across the financial system. 

Securing the cryptoasset registrations alongside the group’s existing FCA Electronic Money Institution (EMI) authorisation establishes a comprehensive, dual-permissioned framework to operate regulated cryptoasset services in the UK. This major milestone complements Aave Labs’ broader European expansion; in November 2025, subsidiary Push Virtual Assets Ireland Limited secured authorisation as a Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR) framework from the Central Bank of Ireland. These regulatory permissions are intended to support Push by Aave Labs’ rollout of mainstream consumer financial products and services across the UK and European Economic Area (EEA) enabling zero-fee on-and-off ramping services. 

“We are pleased to now be registered as cryptoasset service providers in the UK,” said Stani Kulechov, Founder and CEO of Aave Labs. “Our FCA EMI authorisation and cryptoasset registrations provide the regulatory foundation to deliver next-generation, zero-fee onchain consumer financial products in the UK. With regulatory permissions now established across both the UK and EEA, we are well positioned to scale product development and deliver secure, trusted user experiences across these markets in line with applicable regulatory requirements.”

The newly finalised regulatory registrations support Aave Labs’ strategy of pairing open blockchain infrastructure with regulated consumer financial services. Push is authorised in the UK to issue electronic money and in combination with the new cryptoasset registration, to build trusted, full-stack fiat-to-cryptoasset infrastructure to power onchain finance. 

The group’s Irish CASP authorisation unlocks passporting across the EEA and enables Push by Aave Labs to deploy compliant crypto-asset services and zero-fee stablecoin infrastructure. Collectively, these compounding global approvals expand Aave Labs’ regulated footprint as the company continues building resilient, accessible financial products.

FF NEWS TAKE

Aave Labs Founder and CEO Stani Kulechov is executing a brilliant, two-pronged geopolitical regulatory strategy that leaves pure-play crypto startups completely outmaneuvered. While the UK framework remains notoriously difficult to crack—with the FCA rejecting or seeing the withdrawal of over 85% of all crypto asset applications since 2020—Aave Labs has successfully achieved full compliance across both the UK and the European Union.

This FCA victory acts as the direct mechanical counterweight to Aave’s European infrastructure. In November 2025, their Irish entity, Push Virtual Assets Ireland Limited, secured formal Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) authorization under the EU’s strict Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR) framework. Because MiCAR allows for programmatic passporting across all 27 EU member states, and the FCA EMI/Crypto framework locks down the massive UK domestic market, Aave Labs has effectively secured a compliant runway covering more than 500 million affluent consumers across the European Economic Area (EEA). Backed by a recent operational funding boost from the Aave DAO, the corporate blueprint here is clear: Aave is building a heavily regulated, institutional-grade digital retail bank hidden beneath a frictionless, decentralized Web3 architecture. This ensures that as traditional financial institutions migrate capital onto public ledgers, Aave remains the default, legally compliant gateway for global liquidity.

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