French state-owned bank commits another $25 million to digital asset investment fund

Bpifrance aims to boost competitiveness with €25 million commitment to startups focused oBn DeFi, tokenization, and next-gen infrastructure.

Cover art/illustration via CryptoSlate. Image includes combined content which may include AI-generated content.

French public investment bank Bpifrance announced plans to accelerate its digital asset investment strategy, committing up to €25 million to support French blockchain companies through direct investments in crypto tokens.

The move marks a rare foray by a sovereign-backed fund into decentralized financial markets and highlights France’s ambitions to lead in emerging technologies.

The announcement was made on March 27 at a blockchain industry event in Paris, attended by Clara Chappaz, Minister Delegate for AI and Digital Affairs.

Backed by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the program aims to bolster the French blockchain ecosystem by targeting projects with strong local ties, including decentralized finance, tokenization, staking infrastructure, identity certification, and blockchain-integrated AI applications.

Bpifrance has been a key supporter of the French blockchain landscape for nearly a decade, with more than €150 million deployed across over 200 startups.

These include equity stakes in firms such as ACINQ, Dfns, Flowdesk, and Arianee, as well as investments in dedicated digital asset funds managed by White Star Capital, Cygni Capital, Sparkle Ventures, and Ledger Cathay.

The bank first tested crypto asset operations in 2022 with small-scale token investments in French protocols Aleph.im and Morpho, allowing it to develop internal capabilities for managing digital assets.

These pilot initiatives laid the foundation for the current scale-up, which now includes active participation in decentralized financial markets and deeper engagement with tokenized ecosystems.

France’s presence in global digital asset investment remains limited despite rapid international growth, with over 1,000 crypto-focused funds managing more than €2.7 trillion globally.

Bpifrance’s move represents one of the first sovereign fund-backed efforts to invest directly in crypto tokens and engage with next-generation blockchain infrastructure.

The new €25 million allocation will be deployed alongside Bpifrance’s existing innovation tools, including grants, loans, and equity investments through its Digital Venture, Large Venture, and French Touch Capital divisions.

The goal is to create a more robust and competitive environment for French blockchain startups and to accelerate their ability to scale within the evolving European regulatory framework.