france

French Finance Minister Roland Lescure stated that Europe needs more euro-denominated stablecoins and encouraged EU banks to explore tokenized deposits, a statement seen as a potential shift in the position of the French government and central bank.Lescure publicly supports the Qivalis alliance, composed of 12 European banks including BBVA, ING, UniCredit, and BNP Paribas, which plans to launch a euro-pegged stablecoin in the second half of 2026 to address the dominance of the dollar in the digital payments space. He pointed out that the current scale of euro stablecoins is far lower than that of dollar stablecoins, which is "unsatisfactory," and emphasized that promoting relevant developments is "exactly what we need." In contrast, former Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire had a strong opposition to privately issued stablecoins, believing they threaten monetary sovereignty; recently, French central bank governor Francois Villeroy de Galhau also warned that stablecoins and tokenized currencies could pose risks of "monetary privatization." Analysts believe that France's latest statement may signal a more pragmatic approach in Europe regarding stablecoin and digital currency policies, attempting to seek a balance between regulation and innovation.

French Interior Minister representative Jean-Didier Berger stated at the Paris Blockchain Week that France is preparing to introduce new measures to protect cryptocurrency holders. He revealed that authorities have launched a prevention platform and attracted thousands of registrations, while working with Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez to develop a more stringent response plan, expected to be implemented in the coming weeks.In this context, there have been 41 cryptocurrency-related kidnapping cases in France in 2026, averaging one every 2.5 days; in 2025, global incidents of such "ransom attacks" increased by 75% year-on-year, with France being the most severely affected country in the world, accounting for about 40% of the total incidents in Europe.

According to Cointelegraph, Denis Beau, the First Deputy Governor of the French Central Bank, stated at the EUROFI high-level seminar that the French Central Bank is pushing for the EU to strengthen the payment restrictions of the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) on non-euro stablecoins, particularly targeting dollar-pegged stablecoins. Beau pointed out that existing regulatory measures may not adequately address the risks brought about by the widespread adoption of stablecoins.Meanwhile, the French National Assembly passed an anti-fraud bill on April 7, which aims to require annual reporting of self-custody crypto wallets valued over 5,000 euros, but the bill has not yet completed the legislative process.

According to Jinshi reports, the French CAC40 index surged 5% during the day, currently reported at 8,304.55 points.

According to Solid Intel, the central banks of France and South Korea are collaborating on a framework for tokenized cross-border payments and digital assets.

According to DL News, police in the Île-de-France region of France arrested two teenagers (aged 15 and 17) and a 35-year-old man, all suspected of carrying out two armed kidnappings targeting cryptocurrency holders on March 10 in the Île-de-France region.Reports indicate that the first incident occurred in the Essonne department in the southern suburbs of Paris, where the suspects, wearing masks and carrying small explosive devices, attempted to break into the home of a cryptocurrency holder but failed. About 30 minutes later, another incident took place in the Seine-et-Marne department, where the suspects successfully broke into the home of a female cryptocurrency holder, kidnapped her family, and stole jewelry; it has not been disclosed whether cryptocurrency assets were also stolen.The police subsequently tracked the suspects' vehicle, deploying about 100 armed special police officers and two police helicopters to pursue them, intercepting the vehicle after approximately 6 hours and discovering the stolen jewelry inside. Prosecutors have charged the three individuals with extortion, organized crime, armed robbery, property damage, and kidnapping. Currently, the 17-year-old suspect and the 35-year-old man are in custody awaiting trial, while the 15-year-old suspect is under judicial supervision, and prosecutors have appealed this decision.

According to CCTV reports, French Foreign Minister Barrow stated that France "is ready" to participate in the defense actions of Gulf countries.

According to the announcement on the MARA official website, the transaction for MARA France to acquire 64% of Exaion's shares has been completed, with EDF remaining a minority shareholder and customer; NJJ has invested 10% in MARA France.Exaion focuses on HPC data centers and secure cloud/AI, with a board that includes Xavier Niel and MARA CEO Fred Thiel, aiming to accelerate expansion in Europe.

According to Bitcoin News, attacks against Bitcoin holders in France are accelerating.Since 2017, there have been 47 recorded attacks against Bitcoin holders in France, with 38 occurring in the past 13 months. The vast majority of these incidents have happened recently, indicating a sharp increase in criminal activities targeting cryptocurrencies.

Binance co-founder and executive Yi He stated that recent rumors regarding one of its employees in France are circulating. The company has confirmed that the employee and their family are safe and is actively cooperating with law enforcement.Yi He mentioned that three individuals related to the incident have been arrested by the authorities, and the investigation is ongoing. Binance will continue to fully cooperate with the police. He also thanked the French BRB police (Criminal Investigation Division) for their swift action and emphasized that the safety of employees, users, and the community is the top priority, reminding the public to be vigilant against suspicious contacts and to verify information through trusted channels.

The head of Binance France was the victim of a home invasion robbery. It is reported that three masked assailants armed with weapons broke into an apartment building in the Val-de-Marne department of France that morning, attempting to locate the residence of the Binance France head. The assailants first forcibly entered another resident's home to obtain information about the target apartment, and then searched the cryptocurrency executive's residence. After discovering that the homeowner was not present, they stole two mobile phones and fled the scene.On the same morning, the three suspects attacked another resident in Vaucluse, mistakenly believing him to be another cryptocurrency entrepreneur. According to reports, the police tracked them down through surveillance and mobile phone signals, ultimately arresting the three suspects at Lyon Part-Dieu train station. They are currently in custody for investigation.

According to Actu17, the police in the Isère department of France reported that a 74-year-old man was kidnapped at his home on January 25 and subsequently transferred to a bar in the Drôme department, where he suffered approximately 16 hours of illegal detention and severe abuse, including facial cuts and the amputation of a finger. The suspects mistakenly believed that his son was a cryptocurrency millionaire and demanded a ransom of 3 million euros in cryptocurrency, sending videos of the abuse via encrypted communication to apply pressure.The police later arrested three suspects in their twenties in the Rhône Valley area. The three have been formally charged and detained on charges including organized kidnapping, torture, and barbaric acts. Investigations indicate that the suspects may have acted under the direction of others.

According to Reuters, the French Financial Markets Authority (AMF) stated that in France, nearly one-third of cryptocurrency companies without EU licenses have not informed regulators whether they plan to apply for a license or will cease operations before July.Currently, among the approximately 90 registered cryptocurrency companies that have not obtained MiCA licenses, 30% have applied for a license, 40% have explicitly stated they will not apply, and the remaining 30% have not provided feedback on their plans.The transitional period for cryptocurrency regulation in France will end on June 30, and ESMA requires unauthorized companies to develop or implement an orderly exit plan before the deadline.

According to a report by Reuters, the French market regulator warned on Tuesday that as the transition period for the EU's new crypto regulation MiCA is set to end on June 30 this year, nearly one-third of about 90 registered crypto companies in France that have not obtained a MiCA license have yet to inform the regulator of their plans. Stephane Pontoizeau, Executive Director of the AMF's Market Intermediaries and Infrastructure Supervision Department, stated that as of now, 30% of the companies have applied for a license, 40% have decided not to apply, while the remaining 30% have neither informed of their plans nor responded to inquiries from the regulator, which is a cause for concern.According to the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), companies that have not obtained MiCA authorization must implement an "orderly wind-down plan" before the end of the transition period. Previously, companies like Coinbase, Circle, and Revolut have already obtained MiCA licenses.

According to Decrypt, a cryptocurrency investment executive in Verneuil-sur-Seine, France, and his family were attacked in their home last Friday night

According to Decrypt, three masked men broke into a house in Manosque, France, tied up a woman at gunpoint, and stole a USB drive containing cryptocurrency. The victim was not injured; she managed to free herself and call the police within a few minutes. The case has been filed for investigation and is being handled by the local criminal investigation department and the regional branch of the national police.

On Monday night, three masked men broke into a residence in Manosque, France, threatening a woman with a gun and stealing a USB drive containing her partner's cryptocurrency data. According to the French newspaper Le Parisien, the incident occurred at a home on Cherry Path in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region.The attackers threatened the victim with a handgun and slapped her before fleeing the scene with the USB drive. It is reported that the victim was unharmed and managed to escape and call the police within minutes. Local police have opened an investigation, and the case has been handed over to the local criminal investigation department and the national police regional headquarters. Last year, security company Casa's Chief Technology Officer Jameson Lopp recorded over 70 violent attacks related to cryptocurrency in its public database, with France becoming a hotspot for such violent crimes in Europe, with more than 14 related cases.Cybercrime consultant David Sehyeon told Decrypt, "The baseline level of criminal activity in France is relatively high, and the cryptocurrency wealth held by entrepreneurs, traders, and public figures is quite visible. Coupled with the growth of local expertise in digital assets, these factors together create a breeding ground for more speculative and organized cryptocurrency-related crime."

According to Bitcoin News, France has advanced Amendment No. 1649 AC, which requires citizens to declare the exact market value of their self-custodied cryptocurrencies, even if no taxable transactions have occurred.Critics warn that the measure is an improper invasion of privacy and will create a dangerous "data honeypot" containing names, addresses, and precise cryptocurrency asset balances.

According to Cryptopolitan, the French Financial Markets Authority (AMF) will update relevant regulations to allow the sale of certain crypto investment products to retail investors.Following the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which also proposed plans to relax restrictions on retail investment in cryptocurrency ETNs, France is following suit. Since the ban implemented in October 2025, the French AMF's adjustment of the rules will allow retail marketing of crypto index ETNs for the first time and remove the warning label requirements for eligible products. The adjusted rules by the French AMF pertain to the nature of crypto assets, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other crypto assets that meet criteria related to market capitalization, average trading volume, and the level of regulation of trading platforms. A review of this policy change is planned for the first half of 2027.

The French Financial Markets Authority (AMF) recently adjusted its policy to allow the retail sale of cryptocurrency index ETNs and removed the warning label requirement for eligible products. This move aligns with the UK's decision to lift the retail crypto ETN ban in October 2025 and the Nordic bank Nordea's plan to offer Bitcoin ETPs in December, marking a regional regulatory shift.Data shows that CoinShares holds a 32% market share in assets under management in the European cryptocurrency ETP market, with its physical platform seeing net inflows of $1 billion year-to-date. The European cryptocurrency ETN market has recorded €2.5 billion in inflows this year, and these regulatory adjustments broaden the potential market coverage, including 14 million active retail investors in the UK, nearly a quarter of adults in France holding financial investments, and 9 million private clients in the Nordic region.