UK bank customers filed 10,092 complaints about blocked or restricted transfers to crypto exchanges over a 90-day window, according to a new report from advocacy group Stand With Crypto.
The complaints were submitted by 9,803 individuals between May and August 2026 through an online tool operated by Stand With Crypto, targeting transfers to platforms registered with the Financial Conduct Authority.
Lloyds Banking Group, which includes Halifax and Bank of Scotland, received the highest volume of complaints at 2,297, representing more than 22% of the total despite having no published policy restricting crypto transfers.
Barclays followed with 1,569 complaints, while NatWest Group, which includes Royal Bank of Scotland, recorded 1,278 complaints during the same period.
HSBC UK also surpassed the 1,000-complaint threshold, meaning four major banking groups each received more than 1,000 complaints, with affected customers spread across all 650 UK parliamentary constituencies.
Barclays and HSBC UK were classified as imposing transaction limits of £2,500 per transaction and £10,000 over 30 days, while six banks including Starling Bank, TSB, and Chase UK were classified as blocking such transfers entirely.
Banks that apply limits attracted 6,198 complaints, while those with outright bans received just 989, a figure the report suggests may reflect customers who have already stopped attempting such transfers.
The report references a 2025 FCA and YouGov survey in which 13% of UK crypto users said they had encountered problems withdrawing funds to their bank account, making it the most commonly reported negative experience.
Industry data cited in the report also indicates that around 40% of attempted transactions from banks to crypto exchanges were blocked or delayed, with one exchange reporting nearly £1 billion in cancelled transactions during that period.
Stand With Crypto called on banks to replace blanket restrictions with risk-based, case-by-case checks, and to publish clear policies explaining when and why transfers to FCA-registered providers may be refused.
The group also urged the FCA and HM Treasury to publicly state that sector-wide blocks and hard caps on transfers to registered crypto firms are unlikely to be justified under existing anti-fraud or financial crime rules.
Industry figures warn that if the bank account access problem remains unresolved ahead of the UK’s comprehensive crypto regulatory framework, expected to take effect in 2027, Britain’s ambition to become a global cryptoasset hub could be seriously undermined.
