Circle France Secures AMF Licence to Custody and Transfer USDC/EURC Across EEA

Context Circle Internet Financial Europe SAS, the French arm of NYSE‑listed Circle (CRCL), has long operated as an electronic money institution in France. The Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) now adds a passport‑enabled licence that aligns with the EU’s Markets in Crypto‑Assets (MiCA) framework, which took effect earlier this year to harmonise digital‑asset regulation.

Key Facts - On 20 April 2026 the AMF granted Circle France the right to custody and transfer its two stablecoins: USDC, the dollar‑pegged token with a market cap around $45 billion, and EURC, its euro‑pegged counterpart valued at roughly €5 billion. - The licence operates under MiCA Article 60(4), allowing Circle to serve clients in all 27 EEA states without separate national authorisations. - Circle is recognised as the EU’s largest regulated issuer of e‑money tokens, a status that gives it a competitive edge over rivals such as Tether (USDT) and Binance’s BUSD, which lack comparable EU licences. - Dante Disparte, Circle’s chief strategy officer, said the approval demonstrates the firm’s commitment to European regulatory frameworks and to building trusted digital‑financial infrastructure.

What It Means The AMF decision unlocks a regulated pathway for businesses and retail users to store and move stablecoins across borders. Custody services now include insured, segregated storage of USDC and EURC, while transfer capabilities enable near‑instant settlement on public blockchains, reducing reliance on legacy correspondent banking. For EEA‑based firms, the passporting feature eliminates the need to secure individual licences in each country, cutting compliance costs and speeding up market entry. This could accelerate the use of USDC and EURC in cross‑border payments, on‑chain lending, and decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols that require transparent, reserve‑backed assets. The move also signals to institutional investors that Europe is maturing into a regulated stablecoin market. As MiCA compliance becomes a prerequisite for large‑scale adoption, Circle’s early positioning may attract liquidity providers seeking a secure, EU‑wide infrastructure. Watch for how other crypto‑asset firms respond—particularly whether they will pursue similar licences or partner with Circle to access its EEA‑wide network.