AMF Imposes New Fees on French Crypto Platforms

The Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) now imposes new fees on crypto service providers authorized in France. This measure, established by decree n° 2025-169 of February 21, 2025, risks weighing heavily on a sector already tightly regulated by European MiCA legislation.

Mandatory contributions for all crypto service providers

It is now official: the AMF imposes a new financial contribution on French crypto companies. This measure, which directly results from the integration of the European regulation MiCA into French law, applies to both exchange platforms and digital asset custodians. The regulator will require a fixed annual tax of €10,000 for all authorized cryptocurrency service providers operating in the territory.

This change, introduced by the decree n° 2025-169 published on February 21, applies to all actors in the sector: exchange platforms, DeFi companies, token custodians, and financial advisors, regardless of size or activity volume. A measure that risks heavily impacting the smaller structures of the ecosystem.

New entrants will benefit from a grace period of six months after obtaining their accreditation to meet this obligation. As for digital asset custodians, they will also have to pay an additional contribution calculated based on the total assets they hold, with a rate set at 0.0094 per thousand.

Furthermore, holders of new crypto projects wishing to publish their white paper will have to pay €3,000, unless their services use stablecoins or official currencies like the future digital euro.

The scheduled end of the PSAN regime by 2026

This reform is part of a broader upheaval in the French regulatory framework. Since December 30, 2024, holders of the PSAN accreditation (Service Provider on Digital Assets) are called to change their status to become PSCAs (Service Providers on Crypto-Assets).

This administrative transition is not optional. The companies concerned have until June 30, 2026, to complete the necessary procedures, at which point the PSAN regime will disappear permanently. This change of status applies to all actors in the sector, whether they have a simple registration or full accreditation.

This regulatory evolution, while it may seem technical, marks a decisive turning point for the French crypto ecosystem. By harmonizing its regulation with the European MiCA framework, France aligns with continental standards while ending the exception of free service that prevailed until now.

These new taxes come at a time when the United States, under the influence of Donald Trump, seems to be adopting a more favorable approach to the crypto sector. The American president is also organizing a historic summit on March 7, bringing together leading names in the industry at the White House.

Ultimately, the French crypto industry faces a tightening of its operating conditions with these new financial burdens. While these measures aim to professionalize the sector, they may nonetheless weigh on the competitiveness of French players in an increasingly competitive international environment.