France Demands Crypto Present Physical Passport At Border Control

One can only imagine the scene at a French customs booth, a lone USB stick hesitantly thrust forward, perhaps adorned with a tiny beret, as agents meticulously scrutinize its metadata for a valid biometric identity. France, in a bold move of digital-age foresight, is reportedly demanding that any cryptocurrency seeking entry into its esteemed financial ecosystem must first present a physical passport.

This unprecedented bureaucratic hurdle, affectionately termed 'crypto-vetting by Gallic inspection,' comes amidst an ongoing skirmish within the European Union regarding the elusive concept of 'licence passporting.' Apparently, the digital realm’s frictionless borders are simply too... frictionless. One shudders to ponder the implications for Bitcoin's frequent traversals; will each transaction now require a stamp from a local prefect? Or perhaps a QR code tattoo on an actual person, to ensure proper chain of custody for one's ethereal assets under strict financial regulation.

The move, hailed by some as a staunch defense against phantom money laundering and by others as an adorable anachronism, suggests that while the rest of the world debates the future of decentralized finance, France is still very much in the 'can I see some ID?' phase. It's almost charming.