{"id":885686,"date":"2026-01-17T17:18:18","date_gmt":"2026-01-17T23:18:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/17\/a-third-of-french-crypto-firms-still-unlicensed-under-mica-as-deadline-nears\/"},"modified":"2026-01-17T17:18:18","modified_gmt":"2026-01-17T23:18:18","slug":"a-third-of-french-crypto-firms-still-unlicensed-under-mica-as-deadline-nears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/17\/a-third-of-french-crypto-firms-still-unlicensed-under-mica-as-deadline-nears\/","title":{"rendered":"A Third of French Crypto Firms Still Unlicensed Under MiCA as Deadline Nears"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<ul>\n<li>About 30% of French crypto firms remain unlicensed as the June 30 MiCA deadline approaches.<\/li>\n<li>Firms must secure national authorization or exit the EU market under the bloc\u2019s crypto rules.<\/li>\n<li>Critics say high compliance costs and bank-friendly stablecoin rules may push smaller firms out.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><strong>French regulators announced this week that roughly 30% of crypto companies have not yet applied for a MiCA license. The news comes as a key regulatory deadline approaches, one that will decide whether these firms can legally continue operating.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Though the European Union became the first jurisdiction to create a legal framework for crypto-assets, MiCA has faced pushback over its steep capital requirements and operational costs.<\/p>\n<p><small>Sponsored<\/small><\/p>\n<p><small>Sponsored<\/small><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-france-faces-licensing-deadline\"><strong>France Faces Licensing Deadline<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Under the European Union\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/beincrypto.com\/learn\/mica-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation<\/a>, crypto firms must obtain authorization from a national regulator to operate across the bloc.<\/p>\n<p>In France, companies have until June 30 to notify regulators whether they plan to seek a MiCA licence or wind down their operations. Yet around one-third have still failed to make their intentions clear.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking to journalists in Paris earlier this week, St\u00e9phane Pontoizeau, head of the Market Intermediaries Division at France\u2019s financial markets authority, said the regulator had contacted firms in November to remind them that the national transition period was nearing its end.<\/p>\n<p>According to Reuters, of the roughly 90 <a href=\"https:\/\/beincrypto.com\/learn\/top-crypto-companies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">crypto companies<\/a> registered in France that are not yet MiCA-licensed, 30% have already applied for authorization. Meanwhile, 40% have indicated they do not intend to do so.<\/p>\n<p>The remaining 30% have neither responded to the November letter nor communicated their plans to the regulator.<\/p>\n<p>MiCA requires <a href=\"https:\/\/beincrypto.com\/germany-secures-most-eu-mica-crypto-licenses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">authorization from a national regulator<\/a> to passport services throughout the bloc. If the firms miss the deadline, they risk losing the legal right to operate in France or in any other EU country.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><small>Sponsored<\/small><\/p>\n<p><small>Sponsored<\/small><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-eu-rules-face-industry-pushback\"><strong>EU Rules Face Industry Pushback<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>MiCA became fully applicable in December 2024, establishing the first comprehensive, region-wide <a href=\"https:\/\/beincrypto.com\/top-picks\/best-crypto-exchanges-mica-license\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">regulatory framework for crypto assets<\/a> adopted by a major jurisdiction. The move put the EU ahead of key rivals, <a href=\"https:\/\/beincrypto.com\/eu-mica-us-crypto-policy-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">mainly the United States<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Despite being hailed for regulatory clarity and harmonization, certain industry observers raised concerns over its fine print.<\/p>\n<p>Critics argue that the framework imposes <a href=\"https:\/\/beincrypto.com\/ethena-leaves-eu-mica-compliance-germany\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">steep compliance and operational costs<\/a> that disproportionately affect smaller crypto firms, potentially forcing some out of the market or into consolidation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div>\n<blockquote data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">MiCA sets a high standard for regulatory clarity and responsible innovation, positioning Europe as a leader in crypto oversight. The requirement for 60% of stablecoin reserves to be held in low-risk, bank-held assets while banning interest payments is a bold move to prioritize\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Frederik Gregaard (@F_Gregaard) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/F_Gregaard\/status\/1876237668469621168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 6, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Others have pointed to <a href=\"https:\/\/beincrypto.com\/ethena-labs-usde-mica-application-rejected-germany\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MiCA\u2019s stablecoin provisions<\/a> as a potential issue. The rules require close integration with traditional banking infrastructure, a structure some observers say could advantage established financial institutions over native crypto issuers.<\/p>\n<p>As a result, this week\u2019s reports about French crypto firms remaining unresponsive ahead of the June deadline have <a href=\"https:\/\/beincrypto.com\/ecb-wants-harsher-mica-european-stablecoin\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">raised questions about the attractiveness<\/a> of operating within the European Union.<\/p>\n<p>These pressures could prompt firms to explore jurisdictions outside the bloc with more flexible regulatory regimes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Disclaimer<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>In adherence to the <a href=\"https:\/\/beincrypto.com\/trust-project\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Trust Project<\/a> guidelines, BeInCrypto is committed to unbiased, transparent reporting. This news article aims to provide accurate, timely information. However, readers are advised to verify facts independently and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content. Please note that our <a href=\"https:\/\/beincrypto.com\/terms-and-conditions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/beincrypto.com\/privacy-policy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Privacy Policy<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/beincrypto.com\/disclaimer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Disclaimers<\/a> have been updated.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/beincrypto.com\/french-crypto-firms-still-unlicensed-under-mica\/\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a><br \/>\n Camila Grigera Na\u00f3n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>About 30% of French crypto firms remain unlicensed as the June 30 MiCA deadline approaches. Firms must secure national authorization or exit the EU market under the bloc\u2019s crypto rules. Critics say high compliance costs and bank-friendly stablecoin rules may push smaller firms out. French regulators announced this week that roughly 30% of crypto companies<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":885687,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[890,2597],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-885686","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-french","category-third"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/885686","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=885686"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/885686\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/885687"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=885686"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=885686"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=885686"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}