On October 19, 2026, the Autorité des Marchés Financiers published its quarterly update, naming a new batch of sites offering crypto-asset services to French residents without the required authorization under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regime. The cumulative tally for 2026 now stands at 64 names, sites that the AMF says are operating illegally and that investors are urged to avoid, specifically calling out recently active websites like alphaairobot.com and bitgrokapp.com.
Across Europe and beyond, supervisors are using blacklists, court-ordered access blocks, and licensing requirements to push unregulated platforms out of the market, while legitimate operators scramble to secure MiCA licences.
[Mise en garde] ⚠️ L’AMF met en garde le public contre les activités de plusieurs acteurs proposant en France des #crypto-actifs ou des services sur crypto-actifs sans y être autorisés ➡️ https://t.co/u5yw7J0o4x https://t.co/9mX3HNfShH
— AMF (@AMF_actu) October 19, 2026
Court approval delayed website blocking in France
French authorities must first petition a Paris court and obtain a legal order before telecom companies can block access. This legal process creates delays, allowing illegal websites to remain accessible while authorities wait for approval.
French social media commentator RobertNguyen_99 pointed out this severe structural friction, noting that the government only announces these flagged names after the trading sites are already fully operational.
@wublockchain12 64 cái tên trong 9 tháng nghe nhiều, nhưng AMF chỉ công bố sau khi site đã chạy — vấn đề là tốc độ chặn DNS và phối hợp với registrar, chứ không phải độ dài danh sách. Ai check được site nào thuộc cùng một nhóm vận hành qua hạ tầng chung chưa?
— Robert | Crypto Analyst (@RobertNguyen_99) October 20, 2026
The user argued that the issue is the extremely slow speed of domain blocking and the lack of coordination with internet registrars who sell the web addresses. Furthermore, the commentator questioned whether investigators are even checking the underlying computer systems.
READ ALSO: France Increases Crypto Security Response After Kidnapping Cases Surge in 2026
The British approach to illegal crypto advertising offers a faster solution
In the United Kingdom, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) takes a different approach to illegal cryptocurrency advertising. Rather than relying solely on blocking websites after they appear, the UK restricts how crypto investment products are promoted to British consumers. Under its Financial Promotions Regime, companies cannot legally promote crypto to UK consumers unless they meet one of the conditions set by law, such as obtaining approval from an authorised firm.
The approach produced early results. On October 8, 2023, when the new rules took effect, the FCA issued 146 warnings about potentially illegal crypto promotions within the first 24 hours. By October 2024, the regulator reported that more than 900 scam crypto websites had been removed, alongside 56 apps from UK app stores.
France could adopt a similar approach by targeting illegal financial advertising before it reaches consumers. Stricter penalties for companies that distribute unapproved promotions could discourage social media platforms and other intermediaries from helping offshore operators reach French investors. This would complement existing website-blocking measures and reduce the need to pursue each suspicious domain through lengthy legal proceedings.
This European crackdown arrives at the exact same time South Korea is aggressively closing its own digital borders. On Tuesday, the South Korean Financial Intelligence Unit ordered domestic internet providers to completely block access to 27 major foreign crypto exchanges. Because popular global platforms like KuCoin, MEXC, and BingX failed to secure official local licenses, the Asian government deemed them illegal.
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