France marks 90 unlicensed cryptocurrency firms ahead of MiCA deadline: report

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Financial regulators in France have reportedly reported 90 cryptocurrency firms that remain unlicensed under EU rules on markets for cryptographic assets (MiCA) ahead of an end-June deadline.

The French Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) warned that about 30% of unlicensed companies did not respond to the authority’s question whether they planned to obtain the required license, Reuters reported on Tuesday.

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Stephane Pontoizeau, executive director of market intermediaries and the market infrastructure supervision directorate at the AMF, told Reuters that the regulator notified companies in November to remind them that the country’s transition period ends on June 30.

The report states that crypto companies that fail to meet MiCA requirements will be forced to cease operations by July.

About 40% of unlicensed crypto companies in France do not seek a MiCA license

Of the 90 cryptocurrency companies registered in France without a MiCA license, about 40% said they had no intention of applying, AMF’s Pontoizeau said. Another 30% said their license applications were pending.

The regulator did not provide details of which companies declined to apply for a license or which did not respond.

Cointelegraph reached out to AMF for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.

MiCA licenses in France include CoinShares and Relai

Since the MiCA framework came into full force at the end of 2024, the French AMF has issued licenses to several crypto companies.

These include CoinShares, a immense cryptocurrency investment firm that was licensed in July 2025, and Swiss Bitcoin (BTC) app Relai, which received a MiCA license from AMF in October.

This news increases concerns about the enforcement challenges facing the EU under the MiCA framework.

The Paris-based European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the main European regulator overseeing MiCA compliance, said in December that it expected crypto firms without MiCA authorization to have “orderly wind-down” plans in place after the end of the transition period.

Excerpt from ESMA’s statement on the MiCA transitional measures. Source: ESMA

Also in December, the European Commission proposed giving ESMA a centralized supervisory role over all crypto firms in the EU.

The proposal raised concerns in the industry, with critics warning it could tardy licensing and make it more challenging for startups to thrive.

Related: Ripple targets EU MiCA passporting, nods to Luxembourg on e-money

French authorities supported the granting of centralized supervisory powers to ESMA, while member states, including Malta, openly opposed the move.

France has emerged as a major critic of the EU’s passport system, warning that some companies may apply for MiCA licenses in jurisdictions with more permissive standards.

Warehouse: How cryptocurrency regulations have changed in 2025 — and how they will change in 2026

Cointelegraph is committed to independent and see-through journalism. This news article has been produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and is intended to provide precise and up-to-date information. Readers are encouraged to verify the information themselves. Read our Editorial Policy https://cointelegraph.com/editorial-policy
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