🇨🇾 Cyprus vs 🇫🇷 France: crypto licensing compared
Choosing between Cyprus and France for a crypto licence starts with who you will answer to: Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) - sole National Competent Authority for MiCA in Cyprus on one side, AMF (Autorite des marches financiers) grants and supervises the CASP authorisation; ACPR (Banque de France) gives binding assent on AML/CFT and prudential aspects via a joint examination team. on the other, via the MiCA CASP Authorisation granted by CySEC; existing Cyprus Investment Firms (CIFs) can extend their licence to cover crypto-asset services under a simplified process and the MiCA CASP authorisation (French 'agrement PSCA'); replaces the legacy PSAN regime (mandatory AML registration + optional licence). A single authorisation covers the 10 MiCA services. respectively. The two regimes differ on 6 of 9 tracked decision dimensions, including local substance and application cost. Every figure behind the comparison carries a last-verified date and a primary source.
Cyprus: verified 2026-07-03 · France: verified 2026-07-03
| Dimension |
🇨🇾 Cyprus
partly open
Verified 2026-07-03
|
🇫🇷 France
partly open
Verified 2026-07-03
|
|---|---|---|
| Licence type | MiCA CASP Authorisation granted by CySEC; existing Cyprus Investment Firms (CIFs) can extend their licence to cover crypto-asset services under a simplified process | MiCA CASP authorisation (French 'agrement PSCA'); replaces the legacy PSAN regime (mandatory AML registration + optional licence). A single authorisation covers the 10 MiCA services. |
| Regulator | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) - sole National Competent Authority for MiCA in Cyprus | AMF (Autorite des marches financiers) grants and supervises the CASP authorisation; ACPR (Banque de France) gives binding assent on AML/CFT and prudential aspects via a joint examination team. |
| Capital requirement | Cyprus capital requirement is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | France capital requirement is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| Timeline to authorisation | Cyprus timeline to authorisation is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | France timeline to authorisation is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| Local substance | Cyprus local substance is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | France local substance is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| Application cost | Cyprus application cost is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | France application cost is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| Ongoing cost | Cyprus ongoing cost is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | France ongoing cost is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| Passporting | Cyprus passporting is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | France passporting is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| MiCA CASPs approved | Cyprus mica casps approved is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | France mica casps approved is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| Key restrictions | Cyprus key restrictions is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | France key restrictions is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| Recent changes | CySEC set a hard 27 February 2026 deadline for existing national-regime CASPs to submit MiCA applications; preliminary assessment phase opened 13 Nov 2024, formal applications from 1 Jan 2025; national transitional regime and full MiCA regime now running in parallel toward the 1 July 2026 EU-wide cutover | France used the full 18-month transition, ending 1 Jul 2026 (today). Deblock first CASP (May 2025), SG-Forge (Oct 2025); ~18 CASPs authorised by 28 May 2026. AMF adopted ESMA staff knowledge/competence guidelines (Mar 2026). |
| Difficulty rating | Cyprus difficulty rating is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | France difficulty rating is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
The two regimes differ on 6 of 9 tracked decision dimensions, including local substance and application cost. Unlock the pass to see each figure with its source and verification date.
What changed recently
🇨🇾 Cyprus (verified 2026-07-02): CySEC set a hard 27 February 2026 deadline for existing national-regime CASPs to submit MiCA applications; preliminary assessment phase opened 13 Nov 2024, formal applications from 1 Jan 2025; national transitional regime and full MiCA regime now running in parallel toward the 1 July 2026 EU-wide cutover
🇫🇷 France (verified 2026-07-01): France used the full 18-month transition, ending 1 Jul 2026 (today). Deblock first CASP (May 2025), SG-Forge (Oct 2025); ~18 CASPs authorised by 28 May 2026. AMF adopted ESMA staff knowledge/competence guidelines (Mar 2026).
Quick answers
Who regulates crypto licensing in Cyprus and France?
Cyprus: Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) - sole National Competent Authority for MiCA in Cyprus. France: AMF (Autorite des marches financiers) grants and supervises the CASP authorisation; ACPR (Banque de France) gives binding assent on AML/CFT and prudential aspects via a joint examination team..
What licence do you need in Cyprus compared with France?
In Cyprus the authorisation route is MiCA CASP Authorisation granted by CySEC; existing Cyprus Investment Firms (CIFs) can extend their licence to cover crypto-asset services under a simplified process; in France it is MiCA CASP authorisation (French 'agrement PSCA'); replaces the legacy PSAN regime (mandatory AML registration + optional licence). A single authorisation covers the 10 MiCA services.. The comparison table on this page lines the two up dimension by dimension.
Where can I see the full Cyprus vs France comparison?
The interactive benchmark lets you pin either jurisdiction and add up to five peers; a Founder Pass or Pro subscription unlocks every gated figure with its source and verification date. This page stays free at /crypto/compare/cyprus-vs-france.
Informational only, not legal advice. Every open figure carries its own verification date; verify with qualified counsel before acting.