France’s Far-Right Party Plans Bitcoin Mining with Nuclear Power After Years of Crypto Opposition

Aug 04, 2025

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.

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.

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.

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.

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