Picture a crypto business that, within two years of launch, is serving customers in the UAE, the UK, the EU and Singapore. Its product, team and revenue all expand in step. Yet the compliance function meant to support that growth rarely keeps pace, and that mismatch is quietly becoming one of the sector’s biggest risks.

According to Sherlocq, the issue is seldom a lack of willingness. Founders accept that compliance matters, and legal teams are aware of the relevant frameworks. However, awareness of the rules is very different from running a live regulatory research operation across multiple jurisdictions. It is in that gap that firms tend to come unstuck.

On paper, the process looks simple: track regulatory change in every market, link…