Kraken Lifts the Veil: France, The New Quietly Emerging Crypto Epicenter

Kraken unfolds its roadmap and makes its own tour of France. Heading to marketplaces, village halls and provincial media libraries. The idea is simple, almost obvious: go where the French live, to talk crypto without filter or jargon, face to face. No cold keynote or impersonal livestream: a physical presence, concrete demonstrations, Q&A at eye level.

The financial revolution is already in your pocket, Kraken proves it

In just over a decade, cryptocurrency has gone from geek curiosity status to the locomotive of a booming digital finance. More than 560 million people owned crypto-assets at the end of 2024, or 6.8% of the world population; the total market capitalization nearly touched $3.9 trillion last year and analysts expect 750 to 900 million holders by 2025. In short: the wave is already high.

For France, the turning point is confirmed by a Kraken survey conducted in June 2025: 64% of non-holders plan to buy cryptos, 63% say they are ready to use them to pay and more than one third would put them in their long-term savings. At the time when the European Union finally harmonizes the rules through the MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets) regulation, beginners have a marked field, rich in opportunities and safeguards. This article proposes to help you understand the fundamentals, measure the potential and, above all, take the first step with confidence.

France, Europe’s locomotive?

A study carried out by Kraken

Founded in 2011 in San Francisco, Kraken has established itself as one of the very first cryptocurrency exchanges in the world. Its promise? To offer simple but ultra-secure access to the purchase, sale and custody of digital assets, both for the general public and professional investors.

A regulated platform (registered as PSAN in France, licenses in Europe, United Kingdom and United States), it combines spot and derivatives trading, staking solutions, reporting tools and 24/7 customer service.
Underlying all this, a very clear editorial line: crypto must be understood, not endured. Hence a strong educational effort, articles, tutorials, physical events, to transform curiosity into informed adoption.

Figures that speak

• 35.1% choose crypto to invest €1,000.
• 63.98% of interested but non‑holding French people plan to buy crypto assets.
• 63.29% say they’re ready to pay directly in crypto.
• 31.10% already own crypto, and over 32% bought or traded in the last six months.
• 75.7% believe “crypto is made for people like them,” a sign of strong cultural buy‑in.

These statistics, from a panel of 2,600 people spread over the 13 regions, show a widespread enthusiasm, not limited to Parisian technophiles. The Occitanie and Grand Est regions even surpass Île-de-France in purchase intention, proof that ultra-local word of mouth is democratizing innovation.

A regulated framework to reassure

• The EU has adopted the MiCA regulation: effective June 30, 2024 for stablecoins and December 30, 2024 for providers (CASP).
• France, a pioneer with the PSAN status (digital asset service provider) since 2019, aligns its legislation: mandatory registration for custody, trading and platform operation.

Practically, a beginner can verify in two clicks that an exchange indeed holds an AMF registration number before depositing euros. The sector thus becomes one of the best supervised in the world, far from the often-portrayed Wild West.

A worldwide adoption accelerating

The world doesn’t wait. The year 2024 saw a 34% increase in crypto holders compared to 2023. Projections already anticipate 750 to 900 million owners in 2025.

Why?

• Diversification: direct access to an asset denominated in dollars or bitcoin offers a lifeline against monetary erosion.
• Global payments: a euro stablecoin transfers in seconds and costs cents, versus several days and €20 in fees for an out‑of‑zone SEPA wire.
• Passive income: staking (locking tokens to secure a network)
• Commerce: merchants accepting crypto rose from 11,000 mid‑2024 to over 16,000 mid‑2025.

The signal is clear: crypto is no longer an insider’s bet, it is a mainstream option normalizing at high speed.

Crypto in Everyday Life: Use Cases

Daily need	Crypto solution	Perceived effect
Send €200 to a close Erasmus friend in Canada	Stablecoin	Arrives in 5 seconds, cost < €0.01
Protect €50 per month from inflation	Recurring purchase of Bitcoin or Ether	DCA strategy (Dollar-Cost Averaging) simple from a regulated app
Optimize a stock/bond portfolio	5–10% allocation in BTC via a European crypto ETF	Diversification uncorrelated to stock market cycles
Support a digital artist	Purchase an NFT	Certificate of ownership & direct income to creator

First steps in crypto… with Kraken

1. Open an account on Kraken

Kraken is registered as PSAN in France and compliant with the European MiCA framework: you know where you put your euros. In a few minutes, create your profile and choose the “Starter” or “Pro” offer according to your needs.

2. Pass KYC without headache

An identity document, a secure selfie, sometimes proof of address: this verification protects everyone against fraud and money laundering. Kraken guides each step, with supporting documents.

3. Secure your assets like a pro

Your first cryptos can remain on Kraken (major cold storage, regular audits). Kraken offers tutorials and 24/7 support to assist you. For maximum security, consider a hardware wallet (Ledger, Trezor…).

4. Invest small… but regularly

Activate recurring purchase (DCA) directly in the app: €10, €20 or €50 per week/month. You smooth out volatility without thinking about it, while staying in control of your budget.

5. Keep learning continuously, on and off the platform

Educational articles, webinars, physical “Crypto Tour of France” tour: Kraken multiplies formats to popularize crypto. Complement with the French ecosystem: meetups, student associations… and the CoinTribune Read2Earn to follow market news while being rewarded.

The next step is yours

Crypto is no longer a bet for adventurers: it is a financial technology adopted by hundreds of millions of people, supervised by regulators and supported by a united community. In France, nearly two-thirds of the curious are ready to take the plunge; the MiCA-PSAN framework removes regulatory uncertainty and daily use cases multiply.

If you are a beginner, the climb has never been so low: download Kraken, secure your keys, start with €100 then watch. You will join a vanguard building a faster, more transparent and more inclusive finance.

As with any innovation, the best understanding comes from experimentation. What if the next financial revolution fit in your smartphone pocket? It’s your move.

Not investment advice. Crypto trading involves risk of loss. Spot trading provided by Payward Europe Solutions Limited t/a Kraken, authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland. Staking is unregulated. Trading derivatives involves significant risks and is not appropriate for all investors. The value of your investment may go down or up. See Risk Disclosure on eu.kraken.com. Derivatives products are provided by Payward Europe Digital Solutions (CY) Limited, regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), licence no 342/17.