France’s far-right Rassemblement National party has proposed using surplus nuclear energy to mine Bitcoin, which marks a dramatic reversal from Marine Le Pen’s 2016 promise to ban virtual currencies.
According to Le Monde, the plan involves installing mining computers at state-owned EDF nuclear facilities to generate Bitcoin from excess reactor capacity, positioning the far-right as France’s most vocal crypto advocates.
Le Pen announced the mining proposal during a March visit to the Flamanville nuclear power plant, arguing the strategy would monetize surplus electricity rather than waste energy.
RN lawmaker Aurélien Lopez-Liguori was tasked with drafting legislation supporting the initiative, calling it “a secure and extremely profitable solution” that contrasts with the Green Party’s opposition to energy production.
The political shift coincides with a wave of violent crypto-related kidnappings targeting French entrepreneurs, including attempted abductions of Paymium CEO Pierre Noizat’s family and the brutal kidnapping of Ledger co-founder David Balland.
These incidents have prompted calls for stronger security measures and influenced crypto executives’ political allegiances toward parties promising stricter law enforcement.
Political U-Turn Reflects Opportunistic Strategy on Digital Assets
The RN’s cryptocurrency evolution spans nearly a decade of contradictory positions. In 2016, Le Pen denounced Bitcoin as a tool of the “ruling elite” and “Wall Street investment banking lobby,” promising outright prohibition. By 2022, her stance softened to supporting regulation rather than bans.
Internal party tensions remain over the crypto pivot. Jean-Philippe Tanguy, RN’s finance expert and vice president of the National Assembly group, warned against “the return of economic lords” and emphasized state monetary policy control.
His opposition to currency independence directly contradicts Bitcoin’s foundational philosophy of eliminating banking intermediaries.
Despite internal doubts, several RN officials are considering opening the party’s promised “sovereign wealth fund” to Bitcoin investments.
Sarah Knafo, European Parliament member from the allied party Reconquête, has repeatedly praised Bitcoin in Strasbourg while citing authoritarian leaders like Donald Trump and Nayib Bukele as models.
The far-right has filled a political vacuum on crypto issues. French left-wing parties remain focused on environmental concerns and money laundering risks rather than individual freedom aspects.
This positioning allows the far-right to claim crypto advocacy by default.
Crypto Executive Violence Drives Political Realignment
French crypto entrepreneurs face escalating physical threats, fundamentally altering their political calculations.
Paris prosecutors have recently charged 25 suspects in May following multiple kidnapping attempts targeting industry figures and their families.
The cases involved severed fingers, ransom demands reaching €7 million, and attackers disguised as delivery drivers.
Pierre Noizat’s family narrowly escaped abduction near a Paris school when assailants posed as Chronopost couriers.
Following the incident, Noizat appeared on BFM-TV denouncing France’s “Mexicanization,” “obese state,” and immigration policies in interviews widely shared by far-right influencers.
With a powerful sweep, Paris authorities charged 25 suspects, including six minors, cracking down on a surge of violent crypto abductions shaking the city’s streets.#CryptoKidnap #Francehttps://t.co/P3F5Wz2GNl
— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) June 2, 2025
Ledger founder Eric Larchevêque, after his abduction in January, publicly embraced the “liberal libertarian model of Trump and Musk,” calling for Europe to “take out the chainsaw” like Argentina’s Javier Milei.
Larchevêque has made appearances with RN allies Eric Ciotti and Eric Zemmour.
The violence extends beyond France. Global crypto kidnappings surged in 2025, with incidents in Argentina, Canada, the United States, and the UK courts sentencing gang members for crypto-related torture and extortion. French cases stand out for their brutality and family targeting.
Bitcoin representatives acknowledge their sector’s politicization while lamenting the left-wing absence from crypto debates.
Alexandre Stachtchenko of Institut National de Bitcoin cited in the report that France’s “cult of centralism” and reflexive suspicion of non-state initiatives are driving crypto advocates toward the far-right.
Looking forward, the RN’s nuclear mining proposal faces practical hurdles despite political momentum.
France’s regulatory framework requires extensive consultation with exchanges, financial authorities, and underwriters before implementation.
The party has not commenced required stock exchange consultations for potential crypto asset listings, and success remains uncertain given France’s historically cautious approach to digital assets.
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