On 27 October 2026, the French Senate adopted a bill without amendments that paves the way for the automatic exchange of data on crypto-assets between the tax authorities of 46 countries starting as early as 2027. Platforms will annually transmit clients' identification data, their tax residency and the volumes of transactions for each asset. The first reports will cover transactions from 2026.
The decision rests on the CARF framework developed by the OECD and supplements the DAC8 directive already in force in the EU. France, like other participants, gains a tool that lets the tax authority see what exchanges see: who trades, how much and in which assets. Previously, such information was provided only upon request in cases of suspected money laundering or terrorist financing.
Behind the visible technical measure lies a deeper shift. States have long been accustomed to receiving a full picture of bank accounts through automatic exchange. Crypto remained the last notable exception where capital could be moved without leaving a trace. Now this gap is closing, and not only in France: 77 jurisdictions have already announced they will join in the coming years.
For cryptocurrency holders, this means that forgotten or deliberately undeclared transactions will become visible. The flat rate of 30 percent in France does not disappear, but the likelihood of paying it will now rise sharply. Those who kept records themselves or relied on cold wallets will find themselves in a more advantageous position — the exchange primarily concerns centralized platforms.
The interests of the parties here are obvious. Governments seek to replenish budgets and reduce the inequality in tax burden between traditional and digital assets. For the market, this is both a challenge and a recognition: crypto is ceasing to be a marginal zone and is being integrated into the overall financial system. Those who previously saw in it a way to escape control are now forced to recalculate the risks.
The analogy is simple: if a crypto wallet once resembled cash in a safe, now it increasingly resembles a bank account that the tax authority learns about automatically. The only difference is that the owner decides whether to keep records in advance or pay penalties later.
Ultimately, the Senate's decision is not merely a bureaucratic step but a signal that the era of complete opacity in crypto transactions is coming to an end, and those who hold assets should build a transparent tax strategy in advance.
