France Proposes Bitcoin Reserve to Boost Sovereignty

This week marks an important moment in crypto history, as for the first time, French legislators have proposed a Bitcoin reserve. The maneuver, put forth by the center-right UDR party, includes a host of pro-crypto measures designed to help the country remain an important player in the EU blockchain market and address several current issues. Here’s what you need to know.

Bitcoin Strategic Reserve Bill

The French Bitcoin Strategic Reserve bill is by far the most complete legislative proposal ever introduced to parliament. It includes several key aspects to help promote, acquire, and expand the use of digital assets in the country and the greater EU. Here are some of the key details of his independent legislative proposal that could reshape the French economy if approved.

Financial Sovereignty

The goal of the bill is to promote French financial sovereignty and stability while ensuring the country adapts to the changing EU digital market. One of the main stipulations is that it will create a Bitcoin reserve to help the country weather future economic uncertainty. Legislators recognize Bitcoin as a strategic store-of-value that can strengthen their balance sheet moving forward.

Eric Ciotti – Source – North Africa Post

Specifically, the legislation proposes that the country attempt to acquire 2% of Bitcoin’s total supply. To put that number in perspective, the nation would need to purchase or mine 420k Bitcoin to hit its benchmark. Notably, this process would be completed over a period of 6-8 years, with funding coming from a variety of sources.

How France Plans to Fund Its Bitcoin Reserve

Notably, the bill delves into several different methods that the country could rely on to meet its advantageous Bitcoin reserve goals. It combines institutional and ground-level support for the currency alongside various other methods to acquire cryptocurrencies used by governments globally. Here are the main points.

Mining Incentives and Energy Utilization

This bill is unique in that it envisions much of the reserves coming from public mining operations. The legislation reveals a plan to incentivize locals to enter the domestic mining industry via tax incentives and other options, including subsidizing their electricity.

Currently, France has an energy surplus, meaning that its producers often end up selling their unused energy at a loss due to a lack of storage. This bill introduces a 5-year trial period that enables electric and nuclear power providers to use their excess power for mining operations.

Energy Refocusing Strategy

This maneuver highlights France’s broader goal of reducing the burden of losses borne by surplus nuclear and hydroelectric energy providers. The bill envisions this energy helping to offset the demand placed on the grid as new miners enter the economy.

Seized Crypto

Another avenue that France could use to build up their reserves is confiscations. Cryptocurrencies are sometimes used by criminal organizations. The legislation would create a clear path for funds confiscated via legal proceedings to be redirected to the Bitcoin reserve. Notably, this strategy is already in place in countries like the US that currently hold +200,000 confiscated Bitcoins.

Savings Account Levy for Reserve Funding

Another interesting aspect of the proposed legislation is the use of small fees on certain accounts. Specifically, the bill lists Livret A and LDDS accounts as the best options for the task. It predicts that this maneuver could produce enough funding to purchase around 55k in Bitcoin for the reserve yearly.

Implicaciones fiscales

Crypto users would also be able to start paying taxes in Bitcoin if the bill passes. This option doesn’t include all tax options but rather, specifically chosen taxes based on a tiered system. It also proposes the creation of special taxes for data centers as a means to drive reserve holdings.

Stablecoins

Stablecoins were discussed in the legislation as well. Recently, these currency-pegged options have become more popular as a means to send value globally. Notably, the paper promotes the use of euro-denominated stablecoins.

It recognizes the technology as a reliable option for everyday transactions. It even goes as far as to list stablecoins as a credible alternative to the current system dominated by VISA and Mastercard.

Fighting Back Against CBDC

Uniquely, the legislation fights back against the use of CBDCs (Central Bank Decentralized Currencies), claiming these assets pose a privacy risk. Specifically, it cites their potential for abuse and their security weaknesses due to their centralized structure. As such, it lists these assets as a detriment to financial freedom.

Institutional Adoption

The legislation seeks to drive institutional adoption in the market as part of its larger strategy to make cryptocurrencies a major contributor to the French economy. The paper notes a few different ways in which this task could be accomplished. For one, it promotes the use of blockchain-based financial tools like Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs).

Additionally, the legislation would enable crypto holders to utilize their assets as collateral for loans. This decision would directly integrate Bitcoin into the traditional financial system, making it much easier for crypto companies and users to obtain funding from banks to expand their operations, while promoting both direct and indirect investment methods.

Public Administrative Establishment (EPA)

The legislation places the Public Administrative Establishment (EPA) as the coordinator and enforcer of the new laws. This regulatory body would be set up with advanced blockchain tools to ensure that it could monitor the markets across digital assets, to prevent criminal activity or abuse.

Who Is Behind the Bitcoin Reserve Bill?

The Strategic Bitcoin Reserve bill was put forth by France’s center-right Union. The bill lists Éric Ciotti as its main sponsor. Notably, there’s little to no chance of the bill passing without support from other parties, as the UDR only holds 16 of 577 seats in the National Assembly. Notably, the party was founded by the Bitcoin reserve bills sponsor, Éric Ciotti.

The UDR party was formed in 2024 after the Union of the Right for the Republic (UDR) and the Union of Democrats for the Republic (UDR). Today, it’s seen as a strong supporter of property rights, open economic values, and limited government intervention.

Signaling to the Crypto Economy

Despite going up against overwhelming odds, the UDR doesn’t see the legislative proposal as a waste of time. In fact, it’s seen by many as a savvy political move designed to show UDR as the most pro-crypto party in the country. This strategy directly mirrors that of the US republican party and Donald Trump’s pivot towards pro-crypto legislation.

Potential Hurdles to Adoption

There are some key hurdles that the legislators will need to overcome, aside from being outnumbered. For one, there is not a lot of cross-party support for the bill, as it highlights different financial priorities from those seen as vital by the other parties.

Additionally, some see this bill as an affront to the digital Euro, which is listed as a privacy concern in the document. Also, France has had issues with the EU in the past surrounding Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulations, which some French lawmakers argue are too lax in other countries.

Lastly, there are constitutional aspects of the new bill that must be addressed. Specifically, France would need to alter its constitution to enable crypto tax payments. As you could imagine, this step is a time-consuming process that will require a lot of cross-party and popular support to initiate.

Other Countries Seeking to Start BTC Reserves

Several nations have revealed plans to start a Bitcoin reserve in the coming years. Countries like the UK, China, and Finland already have unofficial reserves in their coffers. In the majority of cases, these countries have reserves containing mostly confiscated digital assets.

Other nations like Poland, the US, and Latvia have expressed plans to begin Bitcoin reserves in the coming years. Notably, El Salvador has been a leader in this regard. The nation has spent up to 4% of its national reserves on Bitcoin as part of its Bitcoin build-up.

Notably, El Salvador has introduced several game-changing strategies as part of its legislation, including breaking up its reserves into several different wallets to limit theft and hacking.
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French Crypto Statistics

France has seen a quiet crypto revolution occur over the last 5 years, with proyectado revenues expected to exceed $3 billion by the end of this year. Keenly, experts predict the trend to continue, with some expecting a 2.69% annual growth rate in the digital assets sector moving forward.

These stats predict that 16.37M crypto users will reside in the country by the end of 2026, representing a 24.52% penetration rate across the economy. The main driving factors behind this growth are more legislative support, higher transparency levels, increased values, and a sway in popular opinion regarding digital assets.

France Seeks to Become a Bitcoin Bull

While nearly all analysts believe there is little to no chance of this bill passing in its current state, most agree it is a smart start toward one day creating a positive legislative framework. The goal is to keep France relevant in the digital economy while helping to ensure its citizens understand how to leverage these game-changing assets to their benefit. Hopefully, the bill can help to raise awareness and promote adoption in the country moving forward.

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