In an effort to” strengthen the French blockchain ecosystem,” French public investment bank Bpifrance announced on Thursday that it plans to invest$ 27 million ( €25 million ) directly in tokens and decentralized technologies.
The company’s investment, which was made at a blockchain-focused function in Paris, aims to accede to its “digital asset investment strategy” by supporting European crypto startups and assisting the regional venture capital firms in Web3.
In a statement released on Thursday, Arnaud Caudoux, Deputy CEO of Bpifrance, said,” We are convinced of the growing significance that these people will get on in the years to come. We want to increase European competitivity and presence in the field of modern property.“
By focusing on blockchain-native versions with a significant” French imprint,” Bpifrance’s new account will enhance its long-standing financial support mechanisms like grants, funding, and equity funding.
Among them are Layer 1–3 methods, AI-driven tools, verification, staking, electronic ID, and deFi.
It is one of the first actions taken by a big state investment bank to purchase open-market crypto tokens, or as Bpifrance aptly describes it since.
Bpifrance will specifically target” smaller, newly-issued tokens” from French projects —assets that have not yet been listed on exchanges.  ,
According to Caudoux,” The U.S. is truly accelerating its own crypto strategy, but this is all the more important,” according to a report, citing President Donald Trump’s call for a wake-up call regarding the U.S. crypto push.
Trump has pledged to make the United States the “undisputed Bitcoin superpower” since winning the re-election, proposed domestic Bitcoin mining ideas, and pledged to make the country the” crypto money” of the world.
The pro-crypto movement’s administration has also resisted SEC sanctions against crypto companies, attracting blockchain talent and capital to the U.S. at a time when Europe is still optimistic.
In response to advancements in the U.S., Bpifrance’s program aims to develop and maintain bitcoin talent in France.
Bpifrance is not a newcomer to crypto; it initially supported technology wallet company Ledger in 2014 and has since made an investment in Aleph. in, Morpho, ACINQ, and people.  ,
In an interview with in 2023, Blockchain & Crypto Lead Ivan de Lastours of Bpifrance stated that the lender was also looking into zero-knowledge proofs because they could check sincerity in a world where AI-generated content is the norm.  ,
De Lastours claimed that” they may be the code to the internet’s coming.”
Keeping the column
The Blockchain Group, a French-based tech company listed on Euronext Paris, announced this week that it had purchased 580 BTC, or about$ 50.6 million, adding to France’s overall crypto speed.
Although these initiatives demonstrate a proactive approach to Web3 technology in France, they come at a time when the government’s regulatory body are putting more emphasis on the crypto sector.
In January, French government launched a criminal investigation into Binance, the largest crypto change in the world, over claims of income fraud and tax fraud.  ,
The investigation focused on actions that might have occurred between 2019 and 2024 and include those that might have occurred in France and the European Union.
The French gaming controller, ANJ, began looking into Polymarket, a crypto-based prediction market platform, to see if it was in line with European gambling laws in November 2024.  ,
A French trader allegedly placed a multi-million dollar bet on the results of the U.S. presidential election, which prompted Polymarket to shut down access for European users, properly shutting out a significant portion of its audience.
edited by Sebastian Sinclair
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