France Blocks Polymarket as Regulators Target ISP Access

What happened

France’s financial regulator ANJ ordered internet service providers to block access to the crypto prediction market Polymarket, following similar blacklisting actions by Czech authorities and a warning from ESMA about binary event contracts.

Confirmed

Global impact / market context

Blocking access reduces the number of traders who can use Polymarket, cutting its transaction volume and revenue, while signaling that regulators may treat crypto prediction markets like gambling, affecting future business models and investment strategies for participants.

Confirmed

European regulators are tightening oversight of crypto platforms, with multiple authorities taking action against sites that enable binary event contracts, reflecting broader scrutiny of digital asset markets and increasing compliance demands for operators across the region.

Confirmed

What to watch

1. Other EU regulators may follow France’s ISP blocking, further restricting Polymarket’s access for European users and reducing its market reach across the continent. Analyst inference
2. Polymarket may launch legal challenges against the ISP block, and any court rulings could set precedents for how regulators can restrict online crypto services. Analyst inference
3. ESMA’s warning on binary event contracts may lead to broader EU guidance or restrictions on prediction markets, influencing how platforms design and offer such products. Analyst inference

Evidence

• cryptodaily.co.uk