A French public investment bank has unveiled plans to enhance its strategy for investing in digital assets, allocating up to €25 million to support local blockchain enterprises through direct investments in cryptocurrency tokens.
This initiative represents a rare step for a state-supported fund into decentralized financial markets and underscores France’s aspiration to take a leading role in emerging technologies.
The announcement occurred on March 27 during a blockchain industry event in Paris, which was attended by the Minister Delegate for AI and Digital Affairs.
Supported by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, this program is designed to strengthen the French blockchain ecosystem by focusing on projects with strong local connections, including decentralized finance, tokenization, staking infrastructure, identity verification, and AI applications integrated with blockchain technology.
The bank has been instrumental in nurturing the French blockchain scene for nearly a decade, committing over €150 million across more than 200 startups.
Its portfolio includes equity investments in companies like ACINQ, Dfns, Flowdesk, and Arianee, as well as contributions to dedicated digital asset funds managed by various firms.
In 2022, the bank began exploring crypto asset operations with modest token investments in French protocols, which helped it build internal expertise in managing digital assets.
These initial projects set the stage for the current expansion into active participation in decentralized financial markets and a deeper connection to tokenized ecosystems.
Despite the rapid global growth in digital asset investment, France’s involvement remains relatively limited, with over 1,000 crypto-focused funds managing upwards of €2.7 trillion worldwide.
The bank’s latest move signifies one of the pioneering efforts by a sovereign fund to invest directly in cryptocurrency tokens and engage with the next wave of blockchain infrastructure.
The new €25 million commitment will work in tandem with the bank’s existing innovation support tools, which include grants, loans, and equity investments through its various divisions.
The objective is to cultivate a more resilient and competitive landscape for French blockchain startups, enabling them to scale effectively within the evolving European regulatory environment.