August 4, 2025
5 min read
CCN.com
France’s far-right pivots to support Bitcoin mining powered by nuclear energy amid global pro-crypto political trends.
France’s Far-Right Embraces Pro-Crypto Shift, Plans Bitcoin Mining Using Nuclear Power
Cryptocurrencies are increasingly entering mainstream political agendas worldwide, and in France, they have become a notable point of divergence between the government and opposition. The far-right party Rassemblement National (RN), historically skeptical of the crypto industry, has recently revised its stance. This shift aligns with a global trend where pro-crypto platforms are increasingly linked to electoral success.France’s Far-Right Makes a Radical Pivot: From Banning to Mining Bitcoin
In a dramatic reversal, France’s far-right Rassemblement National has gone from condemning cryptocurrencies to actively championing them. In 2016, Marine Le Pen criticized Bitcoin as a tool of global financial elites. By 2022, her position evolved toward advocating regulation. In 2025, Le Pen proposed domestic Bitcoin mining powered by surplus nuclear energy. During a visit to the Flamanville nuclear plant, she endorsed installing mining rigs on EDF sites to convert unused electricity into a sovereign crypto asset. This U-turn reflects both ideological flexibility and strategic repositioning in a changing political landscape.France’s Crypto Stance: Between Caution and Innovation
Unlike some nations rushing to embrace crypto as a political rallying cry, France has adopted a more measured approach. The French government supports the European Union’s regulatory framework, particularly the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation, which establishes common standards for transparency, consumer protection, and licensing across member states. Paris champions this rule-based structure as essential for trust and market stability, especially following several global crypto scandals. However, regulation has not equated to resistance. France has simultaneously promoted a strong fintech and Web3 ecosystem, encouraging startups and institutional players to develop blockchain applications under clear legal conditions. The country has attracted significant global exchanges and supported pilot programs in decentralized finance, tokenization, and central bank digital currencies.Pro-Crypto Campaigns Are Winning Elections Around the World
Cryptocurrencies have rapidly moved from the margins to the center of global politics. From the U.S. to Asia, pro-crypto platforms have helped politicians win elections, particularly among younger, digital-native voters. In the U.S., Donald Trump won the presidential election in part due to his support for cryptocurrencies. The U.S. recently passed laws such as the GENIUS and Clarity Acts to regulate and boost digital assets. One of Trump’s first acts in his second term was signing a bill to launch a national crypto reserve. Support for digital assets is now a mainstream bipartisan political position in the U.S., with campaigns accepting crypto donations, promoting blockchain policies, and using NFTs for fundraising. In South Korea, former President Yoon Suk-yeol partly won by pledging crypto deregulation, capturing the youth vote. In Japan, the government made Web3 and crypto central to its “New Capitalism,” promoting NFTs and blockchain as engines of growth. In both cases, crypto was actively championed rather than merely tolerated. Across Latin America and Africa, countries like El Salvador and Nigeria frame crypto as economic liberation in systems plagued by inflation or financial exclusion.Source: France’s Far-Right Swings Pro-Crypto, Plans To Mine Bitcoin With Nuclear Power on CCN.com