Stand With Crypto UK launched a campaign urging banks to lift restrictions on transfers to crypto exchanges, arguing that blanket payment blocks are undermining the country’s digital asset ambitions.

The advocacy group is calling on its more than 286,000 registered UK supporters to file complaints with their banks over limits on transfers to crypto platforms, including exchanges that are registered and legally compliant with the Financial Conduct Authority.

The campaign cites the UK Cryptoassets Business Council’s Locked Out report, which found that around 40% of attempted transactions from UK banks to crypto exchanges are blocked or delayed. The report also found that 80% of exchanges saw customer friction increase over the past year.

One exchange reported nearly £1 billion, or about $1.3 billion, in cancelled transactions over a 12 month period due to bank rejections.

Stand With Crypto UK Director Adriana Ennab said people in the UK are being blocked from accessing a legal asset class because banks have imposed blanket restrictions on the sector. She said consumers should be treated as individuals rather than placed under one size fits all policies.

The campaign comes as the UK takes gradual steps toward integrating digital assets into its financial system. Regulators have been advancing stablecoin and cryptoasset rules, while the FCA recently proposed allowing investment funds to allocate up to 10% of assets to crypto exchange traded notes.

Retail access has also started to reopen. Earlier this year, UK investors regained tax advantaged access to crypto exchange traded notes through the Innovative Finance ISA framework.

But banking access remains a major bottleneck. Exchanges and advocacy groups say the UK cannot become a global digital asset hub if customers are unable to reliably move money between bank accounts and regulated crypto platforms.

Coinbase Europe policy head Katie Harries said the government has laid out a vision to make the UK a hub for digital assets and Web3, but banks are choking off the on ramp from fiat money into crypto.

For investors and crypto companies, the issue is practical rather than theoretical. Payment blocks reduce exchange volumes, increase customer friction, and make the UK less attractive for firms deciding where to build and hire.

The campaign puts pressure on banks to move from blanket bans toward risk based controls. That distinction will determine whether the UK’s crypto policy ambitions can translate into real market access.