Bpifrance Invests 25 Million Euros in French Blockchain Projects

France’s state-owned bank Bpifrance has announced a significant investment of 25 million euros in cryptocurrency and blockchain projects with a strong French presence. This initiative, unveiled on March 27, 2025, during an event gathering the French blockchain community, aims to bolster France’s position in the global blockchain ecosystem.

The investment will be directed towards several key areas within the blockchain sector, including decentralized finance (DeFi), staking services, tokenization platforms, and artificial intelligence projects built on blockchain technology. This strategic focus reflects Bpifrance’s commitment to fostering innovation and technological advancement in France.

This new initiative has received full backing from the French Ministry of Economy and Finance, aligning with a broader national strategy to promote emerging technologies. Bpifrance has a proven track record in the blockchain space, having invested over 150 million euros in blockchain projects and supported around 200 French startups over the past decade.

One of Bpifrance’s early investments was in Ledger, the crypto hardware wallet company, back in 2014. Ledger has since grown to become one of France’s most successful blockchain companies. In 2022, Bpifrance began testing limited investments through tokens, including deals with blockchain projects like Aleph.im and the DeFi lending platform Morpho.

The global blockchain ecosystem is expanding rapidly, with more than 1,000 investment funds focused on digital assets and a total market capitalization exceeding 2.7 trillion euros. However, the number of French funds participating in this market remains limited. This new investment strategy aims to encourage more French players to enter the space, thereby increasing France’s competitiveness and presence in the digital assets field.

Arnaud Caudoux, Deputy CEO of Bpifrance, highlighted the strategic importance of this initiative, stating that the US is accelerating its own crypto strategy, making it crucial for France to strengthen its position. Caudoux emphasized that Bpifrance had started supporting crypto before the United States began making pro-crypto moves, aiming to increase French competitiveness and presence in the digital assets field.

Clara Chappaz, France’s Digital and AI Minister, also underscored the significance of this initiative, noting that public and private financing is essential for the sustainable positioning of France’s ecosystem on the international stage. The investment approach will involve Bpifrance receiving tokens in return for its financial support, a common model in venture capital deals in the crypto space.

Bpifrance’s new crypto investment strategy is considered pioneering among sovereign funds worldwide. The bank views it as a way to gain deeper knowledge of asset tokenization and blockchain-based liquidity management, positioning France as a leader in the rapidly evolving blockchain landscape.