France has updated its regulatory framework to let licensed crypto companies sponsor esports teams for the first time under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets, or MiCA, regime. The move comes as the 2026 Esports World Cup is being held in Paris, with a total prize pool of more than $75 million. The report links the change to a clearer compliance structure for esports organizations seeking sponsorship partners. It also draws a contrast with the 2021 bull-market cycle, when exchanges including FTX pursued deals with esports groups, only for many of those agreements to fall apart after FTX collapsed. According to CryptoBriefing, the new approach gives teams and organizations a more stable framework by limiting sponsorship access to licensed entities operating under a defined regulatory basis rather than the higher-risk sponsors seen in the earlier cycle.
France has updated its regulatory framework to allow licensed cryptocurrency companies to sponsor esports teams for the first time under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation, or MiCA.
The policy change comes as the 2026 Esports World Cup is taking place in Paris, where the event’s total prize pool exceeds $75 million.
According to CryptoBriefing, exchanges including FTX had sought esports partnerships during the 2021 bull market. Many of those agreements were later terminated after the collapse of FTX.
The report said the latest regulatory clarity gives esports organizations a more stable framework. It also said licensed firms differ in a fundamental way from the high-risk sponsors that were active in 2021 because they operate on a compliant basis.
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