Crypto News: France Warns 90 Unlicensed Crypto Firms Ahead of MiCA Deadline

Key Insights:

• In recent crypto news, French regulators flagged 90 crypto companies operating without a license.
• The executive director at the AMF, overseeing market intermediaries and infrastructures, said the regulator sent reminders to the companies in November.
• Since MiCA came fully into force in late 2024, France’s AMF has approved licenses for only a small number of crypto firms.

According to the latest crypto news, French regulators have flagged 90 crypto companies operating without a MiCA license and have until the set deadline of June 2026 to comply.

The Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) said 40% of crypto companies operating in the European nation do not have compliance licenses and have yet to respond to their compliance plans.

Crypto News: France Warns 90+ Crypto Companies To Register for Licenses

Stephane Pontoizeau, the executive director at the AMF overseeing market intermediaries and infrastructures, said the regulator sent reminders to the companies in November.

The notices emphasized that France’s transition period under MiCA ends on June 30.

40% of Crypto Firms in France Lack a MiCA License

Of the 90 crypto firms operating in France without a MiCA license, roughly 40% said they do not plan to apply, according to AMF executive Stephane Pontoizeau. Another 30% reported that their license applications are still in progress.

The regulator did not disclose which companies have refused to seek a license or which ones have yet to respond. The lack of transparency leaves the market guessing which firms could face enforcement actions once the June deadline passes.

Since MiCA came fully into force in late 2024, France’s AMF has approved licenses for only a small number of crypto firms, according to the latest crypto news data.

CoinShares, a major crypto investment company, received its license in July 2025. Switzerland’s Bitcoin app Relai followed a few months later, gaining approval to operate under the new rules.

The slow pace of approvals has sparked doubts about the EU’s ability to enforce MiCA effectively. In December, ESMA, the Paris-based regulator overseeing compliance, said unlicensed crypto companies should have plans to wind down operations in an orderly way once the transition period ends.

French authorities back giving ESMA centralized supervisory powers, but some member states, including Malta, have voiced strong opposition.

France has also become a leading critic of the EU’s passporting system.

Regulators warn that some companies could seek MiCA licenses in countries with looser rules. This could weaken the rules across the EU. The situation shows how hard it is to balance EU oversight with individual countries’ interests in Europe’s fast-growing crypto market.

U.S. Senate Banking Committee Unveils CLARITY Crypto Bill Ahead of Markup

On January 13, the US Senate Banking Committee released the full text of the long-awaited Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, or CLARITY, just ahead of this week’s expected markup.

The 278-page draft abandons the approach of regulating tokens individually. Instead, it lays out a clear “lane system” that assigns jurisdiction based on how a digital asset functions throughout its lifecycle.

Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott said the bill gives Americans clear protections. He added that investors and innovators cannot wait while bad actors take advantage. The law focuses on Main Street, targets criminals and foreign threats, and secures the future of finance.

The proposal arrives at a key moment for the crypto industry.

Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer at Bitwise, compared the legislation to the “Punxsutawney Phil of this crypto winter,” suggesting that if it becomes law, the market could reach new all-time highs.

Crypto prediction markets are responding with optimism. Polymarket users currently assign an 80% chance that the CLARITY Act will be signed into law this year.