Kraken Tour France: Crypto Exchange Goes All-In on Regional Conquest
American crypto exchange Kraken has completed an ambitious tour of France with 21 stops across the country. Stated objective: move beyond major metropolitan areas to meet users in the regions. This unprecedented initiative reveals a deeper strategy for conquering the French market.
In brief
- Kraken completed a 21-stop tour across France to “decentralize adoption” and engage regional users.
- The exchange used the event to launch KRAK, its regulated crypto payment app.
- The strategy strengthens Kraken’s regulatory edge (PSAN, MiCA, MiFID II) and market position.
- This grassroots approach could reshape crypto marketing in Europe, favoring human contact over digital.
An Unprecedented Tour Format for the Crypto Industry
Kraken organized its tour according to a particular geometry: 21 stops tracing the shape of the exchange’s logo across France. This number echoes the maximum 21 million bitcoins (BTC) that will exist.
The tour began in Paris during the Proof of Talk conference, before crossing the east (Strasbourg, Mulhouse, Dijon), center (Annecy, Lyon, Clermont-Ferrand), south (Avignon, Cannes, Marseille), west (Bordeaux, Nantes, Rennes) and north (Lille, Amiens).
Each stop offered varied formats: meetups, educational workshops, AMA (Ask Me Anything) sessions and local cultural events. In Bordeaux, the exchange organized a wine contest with “a Bitcoin twist.” In Marseille, a pétanque tournament with Kraken-branded balls.
The approach contrasts with traditional crypto events, generally concentrated in European capitals. According to Kraken’s internal documents, the objective was to “decentralize adoption” and “humanize the relationship with users.”
Kraken’s Regional Bet Against the Competition
This strategy unfolds in a competitive context in the French market. Kraken holds PSAN (Digital Asset Service Provider) status with the AMF since 2021 and has complied with new MiCA and MiFID II regulations in 2024.
The exchange leverages its regulatory legitimacy to differentiate itself and strengthen its position in the French market. This regulatory advantage constitutes an important asset facing sector challenges.
The numbers reveal the stakes: according to a survey conducted by Kraken before the tour, 64% of French respondents express an intention to invest in cryptocurrencies. Growth potential remains significant, particularly outside major urban centers.
“This tour reinforces Kraken’s aspiration to become the leading crypto exchange in France,” indicates the company’s post-tour report.
KRAK: The Crypto Payment App at the Heart of Strategy
The tour served as a launch pad for KRAK, Kraken’s new crypto payment application. This app allows using cryptocurrencies “as a real payment method, everywhere, simply.”
The timing proves relevant. Crypto payments are gradually gaining ground in France, with initiatives like those of Cannes merchants who now accept cryptocurrencies.
The KRAK application aims to respond to this evolution by offering a regulated and secure solution. Each tour stop allowed collecting direct user feedback on the product.
This grassroots approach to product launch contrasts with traditional digital campaigns. Kraken relies on human contact to encourage adoption of its payment solution.
Strategic Stakes of a Grassroots Approach
Beyond the marketing aspect, this tour reveals several strategic stakes for Kraken:
Anticipating European Bitcoin ETFs
Europe is preparing for the arrival of Bitcoin ETFs, already approved in the United States. Kraken is positioning its French infrastructure to capture these future European institutional flows with a suite of Institutional products.
Sectoral Diversification
The exchange mentions “future partnerships with renowned French industries”: fashion, art, wine, gastronomy. A diversification strategy beyond the traditional crypto audience.
Regulatory Reinforcement
With MiCA fully applicable in 2025, Kraken consolidates its regulatory advantage over new entrants. This ground presence reinforces its credibility with French regulators.
Challenges of Regional Crypto Adoption
This innovative approach tackles structural challenges in the French market:
Necessary democratization: the crypto industry still needs to convince beyond urban early adopters. Kraken’s grassroots approach responds to this need for education and proximity.
Regional ecosystem under construction: contrary to preconceptions, French regions show strong adoption potential. The tour revealed active communities like in Annecy with Alpinechain.xyz or in Mulhouse with KMØ.
Premier opportunity: this strategy positions Kraken as a precursor in a European market undergoing full structuring, before the massive arrival of Bitcoin ETFs.
Impact on the French Crypto Ecosystem
This initiative could inspire other crypto players to adopt similar strategies. Kraken’s “grassroots” approach marks a turning point in French crypto communication, historically centered on Paris.
Several local associations like Alpinechain.xyz (Annecy) or KMØ (Mulhouse) benefited from this visibility, strengthening the regional crypto ecosystem.
The tour also highlighted little-known local initiatives, like cryptocurrency acceptance by Cannes merchants or DeFi projects developed in the regions.
What This Changes for Users
- For individual investors: easier access to a regulated platform, with localized customer support and regular events.
- For merchants: the KRAK application can facilitate crypto payment adoption, with support from a regulated platform.
- For the ecosystem: this media visibility can accelerate French financial institutions’ interest in cryptocurrencies.
Future Prospects
Kraken announces plans to replicate this strategy in other European countries. The exchange also plans to “integrate further into French traditional finance” via partnerships with local banks and fintechs.
The challenge will be to capitalize on this momentum: move from the notoriety gained during this tour to real growth in the number of active French users.
Kraken has seen significant local growth this summer, as French clients seek a crypto exchange that is highly integrated into the local culture and ecosystem.
Alix Bouxaguet, France Country Manager
The success of this strategy could redefine crypto marketing codes in Europe, favoring human contact over pure digital communication.
A 21-stop tour organized by crypto exchange Kraken across France to meet regional users and promote cryptocurrency adoption.
Yes, Kraken holds PSAN status with the AMF and complies with European MiCA and MiFID II regulations.
A payment application developed by Kraken allowing the use of cryptocurrencies as a payment method in commerce.
Yes, Kraken has indicated an upcoming virtual event series covering Physical and Cybersecurity in Crypto and many more in-person events in the coming months.
Kraken indicates plans to replicate this strategy in other European countries without specifying which ones or when.
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