DeFi

April

would

The French Financial Markets Authority (AMF) warned that crypto companies operating in the country without a license have until June 30 to acquire the permits or exit the country.
AMF President Marie-Anne Barbat-Layani told a press event on Thursday that crypto companies that fail to obtain a license by the deadline must have "orderly wind-down ⁠plans" to offload customers and end their operations, according to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/crypto-companies-without-eu-licences-face-prosecution-french-regulator-warns-2026-05-28/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Reuters</a>.
Under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) regulatory framework, crypto service providers are <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/binance-applies-mica-license-greece-hcmc" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">required to have licenses to operate</a>, but can acquire a license in any of the 27 EU member states and “passport” the license to any of the other member nations.
Cointelegraph contacted AMF about the looming deadline, but did not receive an immediate response.&nbsp;
With the <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/sponsored/eu-crypto-firms-turn-to-legal-support-as-deadline-for-mica-compliance-nears" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">MiCA deadlines looming</a>, tensions are mounting between EU member states about licensing requirements and whether control over Europe’s crypto regulations should be centralized by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA).
Related: <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/eu-mica-crypto-rules-review-updates" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">EU opens consultation on MiCA stablecoin rules and DeFi gaps</a>
<h2 id="disagreements-over-mica-control-could-disrupt-current-passport-model">Disagreements over MiCA control could disrupt current passport model</h2>
ESMA is a Paris-based organization that can potentially create a <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/centralizing-crypto-why-malta-clash-with-esma" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">conflict of interest over crypto regulations</a> in the EU, critics of the move say.
That's because centralizing control with the agency takes regulatory control away from nation-states, potentially threatening the passporting of licenses across the EU region.
A spokesperson for Malta’s Financial Services Authority (MFSA) told Cointelegraph that changing the MiCA regulatory structure is “premature,” adding that regulators need time to assess the impacts of MiCA, which became legally applicable in 2024.
In April 2026, Peter Kerstens, an adviser on technological innovation, digital transformation and cybersecurity at the European Commission’s financial services department, said that <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/eu-adviser-says-mica-2-is-likely-as-crypto-market-matures-pbw-2026" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">MiCA may be overhauled</a> to regulate a more mature crypto industry.
Kerstens said that EU regulators would seek consultation from the public about any potential overhaul to MiCA that would alter existing provisions or add new requirements for crypto service providers operating in the region.
Magazine: <a href="https://cointelegraph-magazine.com/guide-top-emerging-global-crypto-hubs-2026/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Guide to the top and emerging global crypto hubs: Mid-2026</a>

France's AMF regulator sets June 30 deadline for MiCA licensing

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