Is crypto legal in France?

Tax treatment

Sui generis 'actifs numériques' (digital assets) — a distinct legal/tax category, not currency and not a financial security

Occasional individual investors are taxed under the Prélèvement Forfaitaire Unique (PFU, 'flat tax') on realised gains only — selling crypto for euros or spending it on goods/services triggers tax; swapping one crypto for another does not. As of 1 January 2026 the flat tax rose from 30% to 31.4% (12.8% income tax + 18.6% social contributions), after a 2026 Social Security financing law raised the CSG component of the social levies from 9.2% to 10.6%. Total annual disposals below €305 are exempt from tax. Investors may instead elect the progressive income-tax scale (box 3CN) if more favourable. Frequent/professional trading is taxed differently, as business income (BIC) or non-commercial income (BNC).

Individual gains/losses are declared on Annexe 2086 (auto-populating boxes 3AN/3BN on the online return, or manually on paper form 2042C). Accounts held on foreign platforms (Binance, Kraken, Coinbase, etc.) must additionally be declared on form 3916-3916bis. Losses only offset same-year crypto gains and do not carry forward to future years.

Can banks handle crypto here?

Multiple French consumer/finance outlets report that major retail banks — including BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole, La Banque Postale, Caisse d'Épargne, CIC, and LCL — filter or block transfers to crypto exchanges, typically citing fraud/AML concerns. This is based on journalistic and consumer reporting rather than a published regulatory mandate, so treat it as a well-documented pattern rather than official policy. Neobanks such as N26 and Revolut are generally reported as more permissive of exchange transfers.

Buying and selling crypto in France

Use platforms authorised as PSAN or, increasingly, as MiCA CASPs — check the AMF's public register before funding an account, since operating without authorisation after 1 July 2026 carries a two-year prison sentence and €30,000 fine for the provider. Bank transfer delays/blocks to exchanges are the main practical friction; card funding and neobank rails are commonly reported as smoother than traditional-bank SEPA transfers.

Authority sources used

Outbound links are included for verification and entity authority, not decoration. Every claim on this page traces back to one of these.

• The AMF reminds Digital Asset Service Providers that the transitional period... ends on 1 July 2026Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF)
• Comment déclarer les plus ou moins-values sur cessions d'actifs numériquesDirection Générale des Finances Publiques (impots.gouv.fr)
• Crypto-assets: the AMF clarifies its policy on DASPs authorised under the PACTE LawAutorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF)

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