Heres what happened in crypto today: France and MiCA
Heres what happened crypto traders needed to know today: France ordered internet providers to block Polymarket, European regulators added 14 firms to the MiCA register, and Kaspersky warned of malware aimed at crypto investors through social engineering and trojanized apps. The moves matter for prediction markets, licensed European exchanges and wallet security. For more alerts, follow Fintech & Crypto Alerts on BlasterPost.
Key Takeaways
- France’s ANJ ordered ISPs to geoblock Polymarket, calling prediction sites illegal gambling.
- ESMA added 14 CASPs to the MiCA register, lifting the licensed total to 294.
- Kaspersky identified “OkoBot,” malware that steals wallets and credentials via ClickFix and fake GitHub apps.
- Balaji Srinivasan sought a Malaysia MoU after a probe into Network School’s Forest City community.
Why did France block Polymarket?
France’s Autorité nationale des jeux (ANJ) ordered internet service providers to block Polymarket. The regulator said prediction websites are illegal gambling and that Polymarket is not authorized in France.
Advertising unauthorized gambling sites can bring criminal fines of up to 100,000 euros ($114,000), according to the ANJ. The authority also flagged “addictive features” without legal-market protections and cited outcome-manipulation concerns, including weather bets tied to allegedly hacked sensors.
Polymarket said it was geoblocked in 36 regions at press time. Other countries that have blocked access include Singapore, Poland, Portugal, Hungary, Ukraine, Brazil and Indonesia. France first signaled a block plan in November 2024. Full reporting is available from Cointelegraph.
What changed in Europe’s MiCA licensing update?
The European Securities and Markets Authority updated its interim MiCA register on Thursday, adding 14 crypto-asset service providers. That brought the licensed CASP total to 294.
New entries include Ripple Payments Europe, Portugal-based Bison Bank and Croatia’s state-owned Hrvatska poštanska banka (HPB). The pace slowed versus ESMA’s July 3 update, which added 37 CASPs after MiCA’s transitional period ended. ESMA reported no changes to electronic money token or asset-referenced token registers.
How are crypto investors being targeted by malware?
Kaspersky said a framework dubbed “OkoBot” targets crypto investors with social engineering such as ClickFix and trojanized GitHub apps that deliver a backdoor. The malware can harvest wallet files, browser data and credentials, inject malicious extensions and capture wallet windows.
Kaspersky linked attacks since January 2026 and said OkoBot evolved from the 2025 “TookPS” campaign. It routes about 20 malicious payloads over an SSH tunnel to attacker-controlled machines. Separately, SlowMist warned of fake LinkedIn recruitment pitches that push malicious GitHub repos at Web3 developers.
What else shaped today’s crypto headline stack?
Network School founder Balaji Srinivasan sought a memorandum of understanding with Malaysia after the Home Affairs Ministry probed Forest City over claims Israeli citizens used second passports. Initial checks found all 266 foreigners held valid documents. Without legal certainty, Srinivasan said the community could move capital elsewhere.
Together, the Polymarket block, slower MiCA licensing and rising malware threats show regulation and security still drive the daily crypto narrative more than price alone, per Cointelegraph’s daily roundup.