Binance and 89 companies still without MiCA license 10 months before the deadline

France is preparing for a true regulatory earthquake. Within ten months, companies still not covered by the MiCA regulation will have to either close their doors or obtain European approval. In the corridors of the AMF, concern is rising: some major players have not yet taken the step. For others, the compliance race looks like an exhausting sprint. The countdown has begun and the crypto industry is holding its breath.

Binance Facing the MiCA Clock: France Will Not Waver

The giant Binance, registered in France since 2022, has still not obtained its MiCA approval. An emblematic situation: nearly 90 companies still operate in regulatory uncertainty.

According to Stéphane Pontoizeau of the AMF, about 30% of companies have submitted their files, 40% have not yet done so, and 30% have given no sign of life. The authority explains having contacted all concerned companies, but some have still not specified whether they intend to request approval or simply cease their activities. An inertia that worries: approaching June 2026, companies without a license will have to end their services.

Binance, aware of the risk, is already exploring solutions in Europe to obtain authorization faster. But France, determined not to become the weak link, is considering blocking players who have chosen jurisdictions deemed too lax. The message is clear: in Paris, crypto regulation is respected or abandoned.

MiCA, Between Protection and Pressure: The Great European Sorting

Adopted in 2023, MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation) marks a historic break in European regulation. Behind the promise of a harmonized framework, the text imposes strict obligations: minimum capital requirements, solid governance, environmental transparency, and publication of a white paper for each asset.

Since December 2024, only authorized PSCA providers can operate. A transitional period runs until June 2026, but time is running out.

For France, MiCA is a sorting tool. It must separate reliable players from opportunistic projects, avoid new scandals like FTX or Terra Luna, and protect investors. Yet some consider the French version stricter than that of its European neighbors. ESMA also recalled in December that non-compliant companies must have an orderly shutdown plan before the deadline.

Europe is moving towards strong regulation; the players, however, oscillate between confidence and fear.

Startups: Survival or European Exile

In France, only 70 companies have already obtained their MiCA approval: solid players like Deblock, Bitstack, OKX or Caceis. For others, the journey feels like an endurance test. Crypto startups struggle to fund their application: capital requirements, compliance procedures, and enhanced audits. Some consider obtaining their approval in other European countries, which are more administratively flexible.

But the AMF has warned: it could refuse access to the French market to those trying this workaround. A firm position, at the risk of seeing part of national innovation evaporate.

MiCA was designed to protect investors while allowing real space for innovation. Between rigor and competitiveness, French players walk a tightrope. The market is changing, and only the most agile will stay standing.

Dates and Figures of the MiCA Countdown

• 90 companies without approval ten months before the deadline;
• Only 30% have submitted their files to the AMF;
• 70 companies already approved, including Bitstack and Caceis;
• June 2026: end of the transitional period;
• Goal: a safer and more transparent European market.

Ten months before the deadline, tension is palpable. Some at the Bank of France still find MiCA too permissive. They advocate strengthening the European framework to prevent regulatory gaps from reappearing in other forms. France, faithful to its tradition of rigor, intends to weigh in on this debate: the balance between innovation and stability remains to be written.