France’s Le Pen Party Backs Bitcoin Mining with Nuclear Energy

Marine Le Pen, RN’s long‑time leader, once described Bitcoin in 2016 as a tool of financial elites, pledging outright prohibition of cryptocurrencies. That position is now cast off. Le Pen has publicly embraced Bitcoin mining powered by state energy infrastructure, illustrating a radical shift in tone and strategy. Le Monde reports that RN has prepared legislation to install Bitcoin mining infrastructure at EDF nuclear plants, redirecting surplus power toward crypto production.

Aurélien Lopez‑Liguori, an RN lawmaker, leads the drafting of the bill. He has called the proposal “secure and extremely profitable,” arguing it unlocks new revenue sources from otherwise wasted energy.

A group of lawmakers submitted a bill to the National Assembly to pilot a five‑year Bitcoin mining programme using surplus electricity, mainly from nuclear and renewable sources. The goal: stabilize the grid, monetize over‑production, and generate fresh revenue.

France generates over 70 percent of its electricity from nuclear power, according to industry figures. During off‑peak periods, national grid operators often pay to shed energy or sell it at a loss. In 2024 alone, approximately €80 million in electricity was effectively wasted.

Lawmakers estimate that dedicating even one gigawatt of surplus energy could yield between $100 million and $150 million annually. The programme is also pitched as a way to recapture wasted heat for industrial or district heating purposes, in line with models used in Nordic countries.

Within RN, not all members support the initiative. Jean‑Philippe Tanguy, the party’s lead on financial policy, has expressed opposition, arguing that Bitcoin mining could contradict France’s monetary sovereignty and benefit economic elites. While environmental groups have not yet formally responded to the proposal, critics of crypto mining more broadly have long raised concerns about its energy consumption and sustainability even when powered by surplus electricity..

But RN’s shift signals a broader political gambit: appealing to technologically minded voters, championing energy sovereignty, and staking a claim in the emerging crypto economy. The party of national conservatism is positioning itself as both pragmatic and forward‑thinking, breaking from past rhetoric to embrace digital modernization, however controversial.

France already has a regulated framework for cryptocurrencies. Since the PACTE Law of May 2019, digital‑asset service providers (DASPs) must register with the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF). As of early 2025, around 108 firms have registered under that regime, promoting legal transparency. Individual gains on cryptocurrency sales are subject to a flat 30 percent tax rate (12.8 percent income tax plus 17.2 percent social contributions), with gains under €305 exempt and crypto‑to‑crypto trades untaxed. Despite past tension between France and crypto actors, the country has actively courted global exchanges and innovators under this regulatory regime.

Supporters argue the bitcoin mining pilot addresses several challenges: grid stability by absorbing surplus production during low demand intervals, revenue generation of $100–150 million per annum per gigawatt, and better economics for inflexible nuclear plants. There are secondary benefits envisioned in sector synergy, like utilizing waste heat for nearby facilities, a strategy deployed successfully in Iceland and Sweden.

Opponents contend the policy risks locking France into volatile global crypto prices and incentivizing costly infrastructure build‑out. Environmentalists warn Bitcoin’s energy use, even with otherwise wasted electricity, may worsen carbon output if not fully offset by renewables. Critics also question whether the revenue gains can outweigh fixed costs of nuclear maintenance.

This initiative mirrors earlier far‑right crypto activism. For example, Sarah Knafo of the Reconquête party has previously proposed establishing a European strategic reserve of Bitcoin as a hedge against inflation and state‑issued digital currencies. Such moves reflect a strategic re‑framing: national sovereignty, decentralized finance, and digital entrepreneurship as political capital.

The draft bill is currently under review by the National Assembly. If approved, the trial phase would extend over five years, after which lawmakers would evaluate its performance and scalability. Political reactions, from both within RN and across the political spectrum, suggest fierce debate ahead. Le Pen’s support cuts against traditional far‑right economic populism, even as RN courts new constituencies in the tech‑savvy electorate.