Key Takeaways
- • The Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) has added 16 new websites to its dedicated cryptoasset blacklist as part of an expanded enforcement action against unauthorized digital asset service providers operating in France.
- • Since the beginning of 2026, the AMF has added 38 names total to its blacklist of unauthorized crypto operators, with the cumulative blacklist now reaching approximately 100 websites.
- • Newly blacklisted platforms include zoomex.com, trade-pro.io, the-bitcoin-bank.com, mexc.com, coinex.com, biticodes.com, zenithexchange.ltd, and sparkgenesisai.com, among others identified as offering illegal services.
- • French law requires all entities offering digital asset custody, purchasing/selling digital assets against fiat currency, trading digital assets peer-to-peer, or operating trading platforms to register with the AMF; only AMF-approved companies may conduct token offerings (ICOs).
- • The AMF has reorganized its enforcement list into a dedicated cryptoasset blacklist to enhance transparency and provide investors with clear warning of fraudulent market participants operating without authorization.
Summary
The Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF), France's primary financial services regulator, has intensified its crackdown on unauthorized cryptocurrency operators by expanding its blacklist of illegal cryptoasset service providers. The latest enforcement action adds 16 new websites to a newly reorganized, dedicated blacklist designed to warn the public about fraudulent digital asset platforms operating without proper authorization in France.
The expansion reflects a broader regulatory offensive underway throughout 2026. According to available sources, the AMF has added 38 unauthorized operators to its blacklist since the beginning of the year, bringing the cumulative total of flagged websites to approximately 100 platforms. The newly identified illegal operators include prominent names such as zoomex.com, mexc.com, coinex.com, and trade-pro.io, alongside fraudulent schemes using deceptive branding like "the-bitcoin-bank.com" and "bitcoin-bank-alt" variants. Additional blacklisted platforms include biticodes.com, zenithexchange.ltd, and sparkgenesisai.com.
Under French financial regulations, any entity seeking to provide digital asset services—including custody of cryptoassets, purchasing or selling digital assets against legal tender, peer-to-peer digital asset trading, or operation of digital asset trading platforms—must register with and obtain approval from the AMF. Additionally, only companies that have received explicit AMF authorization may solicit investors for Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs). The regulatory framework aims to protect retail investors from fraud and ensure market integrity within the expanding digital asset ecosystem.
The AMF's decision to create a dedicated blacklist represents an organizational effort to enhance regulatory transparency and accessibility for investors. By consolidating all unauthorized websites into a single, publicly accessible resource, the regulator provides clear visibility into fraudulent operators and strengthens its prevention and warning initiatives. This enforcement escalation aligns with broader European regulatory developments, including implementation of the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) framework overseen by ESMA, which establishes comprehensive rules governing crypto-asset market integrity and consumer protection across the European Union.
The expansion reflects a broader regulatory offensive underway throughout 2026. According to available sources, the AMF has added 38 unauthorized operators to its blacklist since the beginning of the year, bringing the cumulative total of flagged websites to approximately 100 platforms. The newly identified illegal operators include prominent names such as zoomex.com, mexc.com, coinex.com, and trade-pro.io, alongside fraudulent schemes using deceptive branding like "the-bitcoin-bank.com" and "bitcoin-bank-alt" variants. Additional blacklisted platforms include biticodes.com, zenithexchange.ltd, and sparkgenesisai.com.
Under French financial regulations, any entity seeking to provide digital asset services—including custody of cryptoassets, purchasing or selling digital assets against legal tender, peer-to-peer digital asset trading, or operation of digital asset trading platforms—must register with and obtain approval from the AMF. Additionally, only companies that have received explicit AMF authorization may solicit investors for Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs). The regulatory framework aims to protect retail investors from fraud and ensure market integrity within the expanding digital asset ecosystem.
The AMF's decision to create a dedicated blacklist represents an organizational effort to enhance regulatory transparency and accessibility for investors. By consolidating all unauthorized websites into a single, publicly accessible resource, the regulator provides clear visibility into fraudulent operators and strengthens its prevention and warning initiatives. This enforcement escalation aligns with broader European regulatory developments, including implementation of the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) framework overseen by ESMA, which establishes comprehensive rules governing crypto-asset market integrity and consumer protection across the European Union.
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