Crypto platforms after July 2026: checking authorisation
Published 31/08/2026 · Updated 08/09/2026 · Houssen Issouf Aly, French chartered accountant
Crypto-assets · Companies · Directors
Practical guidance for companies and directors. Revised on 7 September 2026.
Check the entity, service and territory
A platform’s trading name is not enough to verify authorisation. Identify the entity signing your contract, the competent authority and covered services. Since France’s transition ended in July 2026, a former PSAN registration is no longer sufficient evidence of the right to continue the relevant services.
A five-step verification
- Read the contract: record the legal name, country and contact details of the service provider.
- Consult official sources: use the AMF authorised-provider list and ESMA MiCA registers.
- Check current status: distinguish effective authorisation, historical registration, withdrawal and a pending application.
- Check services and territory: compare the authorisation with the service purchased and its availability in France.
- Keep dated evidence: record the reference consulted and relevant details in the provider file.
One brand may use several entities. A result for one subsidiary does not automatically cover another subsidiary’s contract. Likewise, custody authorisation does not establish that every service displayed in an app falls within the same scope.
If the result is unclear
Compare the exact legal name, identifier and contact details. Negative lists are not necessarily exhaustive: absence from a warning list does not establish authorisation. If records do not match, request the precise regulatory reference and clarify the position before relying on marketing screenshots.
Account for MiCA’s authorisation routes
The AMF distinguishes CASP authorisation and, for certain eligible financial entities, an article 60 notification deemed complete by the competent authority. Cross-border services from another Member State under MiCA also need consideration. Verification is therefore not limited to finding an authorisation issued directly by the AMF.
Authorisation guarantees neither asset returns or value nor freedom from incidents. Regulatory checks should be supplemented by a review of how the service operates.
For a business account, also examine
- Opening in the company’s name: required documents, authorised persons and expected timelines.
- Exports: complete histories, quantities, fees, conversions, identifiers and access after account closure.
- Custody: company rights, permitted third-party use of assets and restitution terms.
- Transfers: supported networks, timings, thresholds and withdrawal or conversion fees.
- Continuity: incident handling, replacement access and contacts for discrepancies.
These records support the monitoring described in our crypto accounting service. They are not a platform ranking or a recommendation to place funds with a particular provider.
Keep a usable record
A provider change should preserve access to assets and continuity of records. Read official provider communications, deadlines and proposed operations. Do not assume that a transfer, sale and conversion have identical effects.
Distinguish the scenarios
- The same asset transferred between accounts of the same owner: keep addresses, quantities, fees and evidence connecting departure and arrival.
- Sale for euros: identify the disposal, fees and consequences under the individual’s or company’s regime.
- Conversion into another asset: document and classify the exchange; individual rules do not automatically apply to companies.
- Blocked assets or uncertain recovery: retain requests and responses, assess the rights and examine year-end implications.
An accounting continuity example
Suppose a company transfers 1 BTC between providers. The file should explain the quantity received, any fees and unchanged ownership. Importing the receipt as a new purchase without history would break the link to original cost. If a sale occurs before the transfer, the evidence must instead identify that sale.
Prepare the change
Export histories and balances before closing the account, confirm that the destination account belongs to the correct entity, document the decision and reconcile movements. Merchants also need to plan for customer receipts and refunds; our crypto payments page explains these flows.
Frequently asked questions
Is a submitted authorisation application enough? Check effective status and covered services, not merely the existence of an application.
Can an EU-authorised firm serve a French company? The framework permits cross-border services subject to conditions. Check the entity, service and territory in official sources.
Does DAC8 reporting replace exports? No. Keep your own records to reconstruct transactions and explain differences. See the DAC8 guide.