A sophisticated terrorist-financing network in France took advantage of the anonymity offered by cryptocurrency and especially cryptocurrency "coupons" to move funds to al-Qaida and Islamic State militants in Syria, French authorities said.
Gaps in French law, poor compliance and awareness by French firms, or a combination of those things kept financial crime in France's real estate and art sectors alarmingly high in 2020, authorities said, even as a new threat emerged in the form of disruptive financial technology.