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France has backed away from a mandatory declaration requirement for self-hosted crypto wallets, a move that supporters of Bitcoin self-custody described as a win for individuals holding their own keys. On April 28, 2026, a joint parliamentary committee did not retain Article 3 quater of a bill aimed at combating social and tax fraud.
The targeted article was designed to apply to wallets held directly on the blockchain by their users, rather than accounts opened through traditional platforms. In practice, it would have required an annual declaration of digital asset wallets controlled directly by the wallet holder.
According to the text adopted by the National Assembly, the declaration would have been triggered when the total value of assets in the wallet exceeded €5,000. Users would then have been required to report the market value of the wallet to the tax authorities.
Supporters of self-custody argued that the issue went beyond taxation. They said the proposal would have turned the act of holding one’s own keys into a recurring reporting obligation, potentially shifting self-custody into a framework of ongoing suspicion.
They also emphasized that the measure would have created an asymmetry: holding one’s own keys would be treated differently from entrusting funds to a platform.
While the stated goal was to improve visibility for tax administration, the debate also focused on security and risk. Opponents argued that creating a database of cryptoasset holders could attract attacks—not only from hackers, but also from criminal networks seeking solvent and identifiable targets.
The article notes that France has already seen cases involving people linked to crypto, including reports of arrests in kidnapping cases connected to the sector, with targets associated with crypto entrepreneurs.
The removal of Article 3 quater does not end the discussion, the article says. It points to the European framework, including MiCA, which sets common rules for cryptoassets, service providers, issuers, and transaction supervision.
It also notes that the AMLA could revive the debate at the European level.
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