Moroccan Court Upholds 18-Month Sentence for Frenchman Who Bought Ferrari with Bitcoin
Thomas Clausi convicted for illegal cryptocurrency-based car purchase as Morocco’s crypto ban remains in force
A Moroccan court of appeal has affirmed an 18-month prison sentence and a multi-million-euro fine for a 21-year-old French citizen who used Bitcoin to purchase a Ferrari — underscoring the continued stringency of Morocco’s prohibition on cryptocurrency transactions.
The decision was confirmed by the defendant’s lawyer following the verdict earlier this month.
The case dates to 2021, when the Frenchman, identified as Thomas Clausi, bought a luxury sports car from a French woman residing in Casablanca.
He paid approximately €400,000 in Bitcoin — a transaction that Moroccan customs authorities deemed an “illegal transfer of funds”.
The woman filed a complaint alleging fraud, triggering a legal investigation that found Clausi guilty of both fraud and the illegal use of cryptocurrency under national exchange-control laws.
In addition to the prison term, Clausi was handed a fine of roughly €3.4 million.
A separate complaint alleged that Clausi used a bad check — obtained in exchange for Bitcoin — to purchase three high-end watches from a Moroccan citizen, prompting the court to order him to reimburse the owner roughly €3,900.
According to his lawyer, Clausi is expected to serve just over one month in prison before completing his sentence, possibly due to time already served or other mitigating factors.
The upheld verdict is being interpreted by some observers as a high-profile warning to others in Morocco who might consider using cryptocurrencies for large transactions.
Morocco first banned the holding, trading, and use of cryptocurrencies in 2017 under laws regulating foreign-exchange and financial transactions.
Yet amid rising global interest in digital assets, the country has recently begun moving toward legalization and regulation: in late 2024, the central bank publicly revealed a draft law aimed at regulating crypto assets rather than outright banning them, and in late 2025 the government released a new draft bill proposing clear legal pathways for issuance, trading and investor protections.
For now, however, the law remains unchanged: crypto transactions are illegal until new legislation passes.
The case against Clausi — and the court’s readiness to enforce existing prohibitions even in high-value, high-profile transactions — illustrates how real the legal risks remain for users of Bitcoin and other digital currencies in Morocco’s transitional regulatory environment.
As Morocco continues to navigate this shift, the government and its central bank say they will only permit cryptocurrency under a regulated, transparent framework designed to protect investors and preserve financial-market integrity.
Until then, the verdict stands as a stark example of the dangers for those who ignore the current ban and attempt to convert crypto into material wealth on Moroccan soil.
The decision was confirmed by the defendant’s lawyer following the verdict earlier this month.
The case dates to 2021, when the Frenchman, identified as Thomas Clausi, bought a luxury sports car from a French woman residing in Casablanca.
He paid approximately €400,000 in Bitcoin — a transaction that Moroccan customs authorities deemed an “illegal transfer of funds”.
The woman filed a complaint alleging fraud, triggering a legal investigation that found Clausi guilty of both fraud and the illegal use of cryptocurrency under national exchange-control laws.
In addition to the prison term, Clausi was handed a fine of roughly €3.4 million.
A separate complaint alleged that Clausi used a bad check — obtained in exchange for Bitcoin — to purchase three high-end watches from a Moroccan citizen, prompting the court to order him to reimburse the owner roughly €3,900.
According to his lawyer, Clausi is expected to serve just over one month in prison before completing his sentence, possibly due to time already served or other mitigating factors.
The upheld verdict is being interpreted by some observers as a high-profile warning to others in Morocco who might consider using cryptocurrencies for large transactions.
Morocco first banned the holding, trading, and use of cryptocurrencies in 2017 under laws regulating foreign-exchange and financial transactions.
Yet amid rising global interest in digital assets, the country has recently begun moving toward legalization and regulation: in late 2024, the central bank publicly revealed a draft law aimed at regulating crypto assets rather than outright banning them, and in late 2025 the government released a new draft bill proposing clear legal pathways for issuance, trading and investor protections.
For now, however, the law remains unchanged: crypto transactions are illegal until new legislation passes.
The case against Clausi — and the court’s readiness to enforce existing prohibitions even in high-value, high-profile transactions — illustrates how real the legal risks remain for users of Bitcoin and other digital currencies in Morocco’s transitional regulatory environment.
As Morocco continues to navigate this shift, the government and its central bank say they will only permit cryptocurrency under a regulated, transparent framework designed to protect investors and preserve financial-market integrity.
Until then, the verdict stands as a stark example of the dangers for those who ignore the current ban and attempt to convert crypto into material wealth on Moroccan soil.
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