LONDONPARIS, May 4 Reuters Cryptocurrency exchange Binance has registered with France39;s market regulator, Chief Executive Officer Changpeng Zhao said in a tweet on Wednesday, advancing the company39;s plan to make Paris its European base.

It39;s a real stamp of quality, said Binance France39;s General Manager David Prinçay, referring to the registration with the regulator, AMF.

The perception is changing. It allows us … to move to a new phase, which is educating the French public to the blockchain.

Blockchain is a shared record of information maintained and updated by a computer network rather than a central authority. Major cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin rely on the technology.

Prinçay said Binance France was now seeking a formal licence from the French markets regulator to open a regional headquarters in France. Binance claimed it was the country39;s top cryptocurrency exchange even before the registration.

France is the first European Union country to register Binance, which is also seeking registration in Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Netherlands, Portugal and Austria, Prinçay said.

In March, Binance gained licenses from Dubai and Bahrain. 

Last year Binance received warnings from more than a dozen national regulators, including those in Germany, Italy and Britain. Some said it was operating without a licence in their jurisdictions. 

Binance39;s CEO, widely known by his initials CZ, last month pledged to invest 100 million euros 105.51 million in France…