The British regulator has given WisdomTree permission to sell its Bitcoin and Ethereum ETPs to everyday investors in the United Kingdom. The ban that stopped such sales has ended, giving self-directed savers, financial advisers and firms that create listed funds a legal way to buy and sell these products. The change matters because it gives buyers a regulated route, lets the coins sit inside tax free accounts such as ISAs or pensions and sets out clear rules on how customers must be treated.
The Financial Conduct Authority ended its four-year block on the retail sale of crypto-linked Exchange Traded Products. WisdomTree then gained clearance to sell two coin-backed funds to the public — Bitcoin (tickers BTCW or WXBT) and Ethereum (ETHW and WETP). The funds went on sale to retail buyers during the week that started on 16 October 2025, the firm announced.
WisdomTree already runs more than fifty billion US dollars of assets in Europe, and on 14 October 2025 added a Stellar Lumens ETP that charges 0.50 % per year. The regulator wants savers to use those supervised funds instead of offshore or unlicensed websites.
The FCA labels the funds “Restricted Mass-Market Investments,” requiring strong risk warnings and banning perks to attract buyers. If the issuer collapses, the state safety net does not repay any money — investors risk losing everything. An ETP is simply a share-like instrument listed on a stock exchange that mirrors the price of another asset.
Implications for investors and the market
The rule change allows everyday investors to hold Bitcoin next to Ethereum inside tax shelters. Up to £20,000 per year can go into an ISA and some pension plans also accept the funds, facts that may lift demand and push more money into listed products.
Because the funds carry the RMMI label and have no FSCS cover, sellers must spell out the danger of total loss and run tougher identity and anti-money-laundering checks. Adverts face tight wording limits, promotion costs will rise and sales teams will need new scripts.
Analysts expect some traders to shift from unregulated venues to listed ETPs. A WisdomTree survey found that two out of five UK investors would buy crypto if a regulated route existed.
The funds hit the retail market during the week of 16 October 2025. From that point, advisers and compliance teams must rewrite brochures, upgrade customer checks and tighten adverts so that every word follows the new FCA rulebook.
