France flags 90 unlicensed crypto firms ahead of MiCA cutoff: Report

Source: CryptoNewsNet Original Title: France flags 90 unlicensed crypto firms ahead of MiCA cutoff: Report Original Link: Financial regulators in France have reportedly flagged 90 crypto firms that remain unlicensed under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) framework ahead of a key deadline in June.

France’s Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) warned that around 30% of the unlicensed firms have not responded to the authority’s request on whether they plan to obtain the required license.

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

Crypto companies that fail to comply with the MiCA framework will be forced to cease operations by July.

40% of unlicensed crypto firms in France not seeking MiCA licenses

Of the 90 crypto firms registered in France without a MiCA license, around 40% have reportedly said they do not intend to apply, AMF’s Pontoizeau said. Another 30% indicated that their license applications were in progress.

The regulator did not provide details on which companies have declined to seek a license or which remain unresponsive.

MiCA licenses in France include CoinShares and Relai

Since the MiCA framework came fully into force in late 2024, France’s AMF has issued licenses to a handful of crypto companies.

Among them are CoinShares, a major crypto investment firm licensed in July 2025, and Switzerland’s Bitcoin (BTC) app Relai, which received a MiCA license from the AMF in October.

The news adds to concerns over the EU’s enforcement challenges around the MiCA framework.

The Paris-based European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), Europe’s primary supervisory body overseeing MiCA compliance, said in December that it expects crypto companies without MiCA authorization to have “orderly wind-down” plans in place once the transitional period ends.

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

The proposal has raised industry concerns, with critics warning it could slow licensing and hinder startup growth.

French authorities have supported giving ESMA centralized supervisory powers, while member states such as Malta have openly opposed the move.

France has emerged as a leading critic of the EU’s passporting regime, warning that some companies may seek MiCA licences in jurisdictions with more lenient standards.