France’s Far-Right Rassemblement National Champions Bitcoin Mining with Surplus Nuclear Power—A Dramatic Political Reversal

France’s far-right Rassemblement National (RN) has proposed using surplus nuclear energy to mine Bitcoin-a move that is dramatically contradictory to Marine Le Pen's 2016 promise to ban virtual currencies.

According to local media, RN’s bold new initiative would leverage unused capacity at state-owned EDF nuclear power stations to install mining operations, turning excess electricity into digital gold.

Le Pen unveiled the proposal during a visit to the Flamanville nuclear facility, asserting that monetizing surplus energy through Bitcoin mining could provide significant economic benefits while reducing waste.

RN lawmaker Aurélien Lopez-Liguori is spearheading legislation to support this vision, describing Bitcoin mining with nuclear energy as both “secure and extremely profitable,” standing in stark contrast to the Green Party’s focus on limiting energy production.

This political pivot occurs amidst a spike in violence targeting France’s cryptocurrency industry, including high-profile kidnapping attempts involving the families of Paymium CEO Pierre Noizat and Ledger co-founder David Balland.

These incidents has driven many crypto executives to cry for stronger measures and stricter laws enforcements that would protect them.

A Strategic U-Turn on Crypto Policy

The shift marks a strategic U-turn for the RN, which has maintained fluid and sometimes contradictory positions on cryptocurrencies over the past decade.

Back in 2016, Le Pen derided Bitcoin as a creation of the “Wall Street investment banking lobby,” vowing to ban its use entirely.

By 2022, the party moderated its stance to regulate rather than outlaw crypto—a position that has now evolved into full-scale advocacy.

Despite growing support within RN, internal opposition continues. Jean-Philippe Tanguy, RN’s finance specialist and a key National Assembly figure, has cautioned that moving towards currency independence risks undermining France’s control over monetary policy—a direct challenge to Bitcoin’s ethos of decentralization.

Nonetheless, some RN officials are exploring avenues such as allocating Bitcoin exposure within a planned sovereign wealth fund, signaling the party’s growing acceptance of digital assets.

Crypto Violence Shifts Industry Loyalties

The climate of physical danger facing French crypto leaders is unprecedented, with Paris prosecutors recently charging 25 suspects, including groups who posed as delivery drivers to attempt kidnappings and extort ransoms as high as €7 million.

These extreme events have triggered public debates about state capacity, immigration, and law enforcement, often amplified by far-right media figures.

Notably, Ledger founder Eric Larchevêque after his abduction, has voiced support for the policies of leaders like Donald Trump and Musk, calling for Europe to "take out the chainsaw" like Argentina's Javier Milei.

Meanwhile, the violence has reached a global scope, with crypto-related kidnappings and extortion attempts reported in Argentina, Canada, the US, and the UK, though France stands out for the severity and frequency of attacks on entrepreneurs’ families.

RN’s prominent pivot into pro-crypto territory capitalizes on the absence of French left-wing parties in meaningful blockchain policy debates, which remain focused on environmental and regulatory risks.

Still, significant obstacles remain for the RN’s nuclear-powered mining ambitions. France’s strict regulatory environment necessitates extensive consultation with financial authorities, exchanges, and stakeholders before implementation.

As of now, the party has not initiated required reviews for crypto asset market integration, and the success of their initiative will ultimately depend on overcoming the country’s historically conservative stance toward digital assets.