Arizen, parent company of Coinhouse, to be the first French cryptoasset platform getting a financial investment advisor license

As France moves slowly to regulate blockchain industry and cryptocurrency exchanges, Arizen, parent company of Coinhouse, takes the lead and becomes the first french operator to get a license for financial investments advisory, called “Conseiller en investissement financier (CIF)’’ in France.

Initiated by its CEO Nicolas Louvet, Arizen has been granted the financial investments advisor licence. This initiative is part of the company’s strategic direction that aims to provide clients with guidance and support in all their investments within the new asset class: cryptoassets. Indeed, French investors are becoming more interested in assets like Bitcoin and see in it a new financial product that resembles a ‘’store of value’’.

Since early 2018, Arizen noticed an increasing demand from institutional investors, especially family offices and large accounts. Cryptoassets are perceived like new investment opportunities on which advices and support can be delivered as follow:

• Advising for a diversification of one’s cryptoassets portfolio based on investors’s risk profile.
• Advising on the different opportunities within the crypto funds space

A licence offering better investor protection

The CIF license is a recognition of Coinhouse’s efforts to respect regulatory framework in France and in Europe. Coinhouse’s strong compliance process and its professional approach in delivering cryptoasset to its client has reassured the Financial Market Authority. For this license, Arizen joined the Chambre Nationale des Conseillers en Investissements Financiers​ (CNCIF) ;

This license will help legitimize cryptoassets as a new asset class within the financial industry. It will provide a regulated approach for Coinhouse to sell these assets to different actors: banks, insurances, funds, assets management companies…

A significant first step for the growth of the French crypto ecosystem

The CIF license is a first step in the Coinhouse regulatory strategy. The company will facilitate the rising adoption of cryptoassets within the financial industry by offering more investor protection through this license.

While several countries have put together a strategy to seduce crypto entrepreneurs, France has been slow in laying down clear rules and regulations to encourage the development of this new industry, which is about to permanently transform our financial ecosystem.

“We are proud to be the first European 100% crypto company to receive the CIF license. It is an important milestone to build up confidence between classic financial operators and fintech groups like Coinhouse.” Nicolas Louvet, Arizen CEO.