Circle Obtains Conditional Registration in France, Names Operations Leader
Circle, a financial technology company that enables global payments and access to digital currencies, has obtained conditional registration in France from the Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution (ACPR).
As part of its registration process, the ACPR, which is part of the Banque de France, has granted Circle a limited payment services authorization, which enables it to offer a digital currency invoice payment service for non-financial goods and services.
In addition, Circle has appointed Nathalie Oestmann as its country lead and director of operations in France. Oestmann has twenty years of experience in operations, process optimization and payments, having previously held leadership roles at several major companies, including Amex, Zendesk and Uber.
“Circle’s conditional registration in France marks an important milestone in Circle’s international expansion as we look to create a platform for a simpler, faster and more secure digital economy,” said Circle CEO, Jeremy Allaire. “France is one of the global financial and technology centers of Europe and with Nathalie’s leadership, we are positioned to move quickly to expand our services for customers.”
Oestmann will lead the registration process and launch efforts for Circle products and services in France. She will also build a local team, build partnerships and create a regulatory roadmap for potential services.
“It’s exciting to have the opportunity to join the Circle team and to work to get their innovative financial services business up-and-running in France,” said Oestmann. “We intend to work in close cooperation with the ACPR as we pursue the registration process, and I look forward to working with our partners and the forward-looking French regulators to explore solutions for the challenges of the future.”