France's financial regulator, the AMF, announced that cryptocurrency companies have until June 30, 2026 to apply for licenses under new European Union rules. The MiCA regulation, which stands for Markets in Crypto-Assets, is a set of rules that all EU countries must follow to control how crypto companies operate. This deadline means hundreds of crypto firms across Europe need to get official permission from their governments before that date.
The European Union created MiCA to protect regular people who use cryptocurrency and to stop criminals from using digital money to hide illegal activities. Since January 2024, when the rules went into effect, regulators like the AMF have been working with crypto companies to help them understand what they need to do. France's AMF is one of the first major regulators to set a hard deadline for companies to complete their applications.
Small crypto startups and large trading platforms both need to follow these rules to keep operating legally in France and the rest of Europe. If a company doesn't get a license by the deadline, it could face fines or be forced to shut down its business in the EU. This affects people who buy, sell, or trade cryptocurrency, since only licensed companies will be allowed to serve them.
Companies that have already started the licensing process will need to finish their paperwork quickly to meet the June 30 deadline. The AMF has said it will review applications as they come in, but companies that wait until the last minute risk missing the cutoff. After June 30, any crypto firm without a license will no longer be able to legally offer services to people in France.