IG Group becomes first UK-listed firm to offer retail crypto trading

The UK’s fast-growing crypto market has reached a major inflection point as IG Group, one of the country’s biggest online trading platforms, becomes the first London-listed company to offer direct cryptocurrency trading to retail investors.

From this week, IG clients in the UK will be able to buy and sell 38 individual digital tokens—including bitcoin, ethereum, and the meme-inspired dogwifhat—through a new partnership with digital asset platform Uphold. The launch marks a significant milestone not just for IG, but also for the broader integration of crypto into the regulated financial mainstream.

Michael Healy, IG Group’s UK managing director, described the move as “a major milestone in the UK’s crypto journey,” noting that demand from customers has reached “a tipping point”.

“Crypto is no longer a fringe asset class,” Healy said. “Our clients want secure, reliable access to digital tokens from a trusted provider—and as a UK-listed, regulated company, we’re ideally placed to meet that need.”

Though crypto trading is already offered by private fintechs such as Revolut, IG is the first company on the London Stock Exchange to formally enter the space. Healy believes this brings a new level of credibility to an industry that has long struggled with regulatory scepticism and an image problem rooted in volatility, fraud, and scandal.

The launch comes amid rising adoption of crypto in the UK. According to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), 12 per cent of UK adults now hold some form of cryptocurrency—up from just 4.4 per cent in 2021.

IG’s service will offer access to a diverse portfolio of tokens through Uphold, which will act as custodian. However, it’s worth noting that Uphold is not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, so retail clients won’t benefit from the protections typically afforded to more traditional financial products.

Still, for IG—a FTSE 250 firm best known for leveraged derivatives and stockbroking—the move signals a broader shift into long-term investing and digital asset management. “We’re expanding our product offering, and crypto is clearly a key part of where the future is headed,” Healy said.

The timing is notable. In the UK, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has recently reaffirmed the government’s intent to introduce “robust rules around crypto” as part of a broader strategy to enhance financial innovation and protect consumers. In the US, former President Donald Trump’s pro-crypto rhetoric has fuelled expectations of a friendlier regulatory environment should he secure a return to office. This contrasts with President Biden’s tougher stance and recent crackdowns on crypto exchanges and products.

While digital assets remain polarising—particularly among regulators wary of their use in money laundering and scams—their underlying blockchain technology and decentralised nature continue to attract institutional interest.

Crypto advocates say mainstream adoption by large financial institutions will help clean up the sector’s “Wild West” image, particularly following high-profile failures such as the collapse of FTX in 2022 and the fraud conviction of its founder Sam Bankman-Fried. IG’s entry, with its reputation for transparency and compliance, could serve as a turning point for retail confidence in crypto.

That said, the FCA remains cautious. It has repeatedly warned that cryptocurrencies are highly speculative and carry a significant risk of loss. There is no inherent value in most digital tokens, and the market remains extremely volatile.

Even so, IG’s move signals a shift in sentiment. By marrying the accessibility of retail crypto with the oversight and infrastructure of a listed company, the firm is positioning itself at the forefront of a new chapter in UK finance—one where digital assets are no longer peripheral but part of a credible, regulated investment landscape.

As the UK finalises its regulatory rulebook for crypto in the coming months, IG’s decision to embrace digital tokens could become a blueprint for other listed financial firms looking to engage with the asset class—bringing further legitimacy, and perhaps a little less chaos, to a sector long defined by both rapid growth and rampant uncertainty.