Industry groups urge British govt. to include digital assets in UK–US Tech Bridge ahead of second Trump state visit

Industry groups have urged the British government to include distributed ledger technology as a "core strand" of the UK-US Tech Bridge ahead of President Trump's state visit next week.

The UK–US Tech Bridge is a bilateral initiative designed to strengthen collaboration on advanced technologies, including areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, space, quantum, and biotechnology, alongside digital finance.

The partnership gives the UK and U.S. a chance to shape global digital finance standards, deepen transatlantic markets, promote interoperability, and position their firms at the forefront of innovation, the associations wrote in a letter to Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Rt Hon Peter Kyle MP, on Thursday, seen by The Block.

The letter's signers span key trade bodies in finance, payments, and digital assets, including UKCBC, Global Digital Finance, and the Crypto Council for Innovation on crypto; The Payments Association, UK Finance, and techUK on payments and technology; and heavyweight financial groups like TheCityUK, the City of London Corporation, and AIMA.

DLT is transforming financial services by improving capital flows, enabling faster and cheaper payments, boosting efficiency, and widening inclusion, the letter argued, offering domestic gains in growth and jobs.

Tokenization and stablecoins are central to this shift, the trade bodies continued, with the UK's role as a leading hub for cross-border finance — handling nearly 40% of global FX turnover — and the United States' position as home to the largest capital markets together shaping global standards in digital finance.

"This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the UK and U.S. to establish the world's first transatlantic framework for DLT and set the standards of global interoperability," the signers wrote. "By acting together, we can ensure that the rules of the digital economy are shaped in our markets — not written elsewhere."

Britain risks being left on the sidelines

The industry groups went on to warn that excluding digital assets from the UK-US Tech Bridge would be a "missed opportunity" that risks leaving Britain on the sidelines while others — particularly in the Middle East and Asia — move ahead in shaping the future of finance. Instead, they pressed the government to build on its commitment to develop a joint sandbox with the U.S.

"We fully support the government's ambition to 'grasp the opportunities of new technologies' and the Chancellor's commitment to 'drive forward developments in blockchain technology, including tokenized securities and stablecoins,'" the associations said, offering their assistance. "Now is the time to make this a reality — a platform to deliver."

Trump's trip to the UK runs from Sept. 17 to Sept. 19 — the first U.S. president in modern history to be invited for a second state visit. Traditionally, second-term presidents are not offered a state visit and have instead been granted more modest royal engagements. The rare invitation was extended by King Charles and delivered by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer during a White House trade meeting in February. Trump was previously granted a state visit in 2019.

Back in April, the UK Treasury signaled plans to work with the U.S. on crypto regulation after Chancellor Rachel Reeves met Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Washington. Reeves pledged to make Britain a hub for digital asset innovation with clearer rules, echoing the Trump administration's pro-crypto stance.

"Firms offering services for cryptoassets like Bitcoin and Ethereum will be subject to new, clear rules, boosting investor confidence and driving growth," Reeves said at the time.