France shares crypto data with tax authorities: ‘that could lead to more robberies’

France is taking a new step to tighten controls on crypto investors. The French Senate has approved a bill that will allow tax authorities to automatically exchange data on crypto transactions with other countries.

The plan aims to combat tax evasion, but at the same time raises major concerns about investor safety.

In particular, the amount of sensitive information that governments collect is under attack. France is struggling with a striking increase in violent robberies against people who own Bitcoin (BTC) and other crypto coins.

The French Senate approved the bill at first reading on Tuesday. The proposal has now been forwarded to the National Assembly, where parliamentarians will have to discuss it further. The new rules are therefore not yet final.

The law allows tax authorities to automatically exchange information about crypto transactions with foreign authorities. This makes it more difficult for investors to keep crypto assets out of the sight of the tax authorities.

The proposal is based on the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF), developed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). This international system must ensure that participating countries collect and exchange data in the same way.

Moreover, France has already taken measures before. The Budget Law of 2025 introduced European reporting rules known as DAC8.

These rules require crypto platforms to pass on data about their customers and transactions to tax authorities. Subsequently, that data may be shared with the tax authorities of the European country where a user resides.

Meanwhile, the French parliament is discussing additional tax measures. On October 16, the National Assembly approved an amendment that would make gains on the exchange of crypto to certain stablecoins taxable as of January 1, 2027.

Stablecoins are crypto coins whose value is linked to, for example, the US dollar. This tax change is also not yet final. The parliamentary debate on the revenue line of the budget will continue, with a vote scheduled for 3 November.

However, the stricter control also has a downside. The new reporting requirements give tax authorities access to large amounts of personal information about crypto investors.

This includes names, addresses, tax numbers and transaction volumes. According to Faustine Fleuret, responsible for international public relations at crypto platform Morpho, this entails significant security risks.

She warns Cointelegraph that a leaked list of crypto holders threatens not only their privacy, but also their physical security.

Those concerns are reinforced by plans from the European Commission. Brussels wants to set up a central data storage for crypto reports by the end of 2026 at the latest. National tax authorities must be able to consult information about their own taxpayers.

Fleuret fears that such a central warehouse will become an attractive target for hackers. When sensitive data is collected in one place, a security incident can have major consequences.

The warning comes at a time when France is facing a serious wave of violence against crypto investors.

According to blockchain security company CertiK, 52 confirmed physical attacks on crypto holders took place worldwide in the first half of 2026. No less than 33 of these took place in France.

In such attacks, criminals try to force victims to transfer their crypto coins by force or threats. These crimes are also known as‘ wrench attacks’.

A notable incident occurred in March. A French couple in their late fifties were ambushed by criminals posing as police officers. The perpetrators looted about $1 million in Bitcoin.

The figures make it clear why the protection of personal data is so sensitive. When criminals gain access to information about investors' identities, residences, and crypto assets, they may be able to target victims more specifically.

The European plans are intended to combat tax evasion, but at the same time present governments with an important security task. Especially in France, where crypto holders are relatively often victims of violence, there is more at stake than just financial privacy.