France

Crypto everywhere, cheap ransom, and an ex-trader freed at dawn: France invents discount kidnapping. Who will be the next digital wallet?

In France, public debt crystallizes political tensions, shocks the markets, and weakens budgetary sovereignty. With more than €3,400 billion to repay and sharply rising rates, the country faces an unprecedented risk. François Bayrou even raised the threat of being put under IMF supervision, while investors are beginning to doubt.

While inflation slows on a national scale, property owners do not escape the reality of the figures. Since August 25, the first property tax notices have arrived, with a national increase set at 1.7%. Indeed, behind this mechanical revaluation, much higher local increases are quietly added. This tax burden, far from being insignificant, reveals growing tensions between budget-pressured local authorities and already weakened taxpayers.

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 Paris stock market rises by 0.76% as the Fed could ease its policy in response to the American economic slowdown.

While Bayrou struggles with the budget, Occitanie is mining convictions: France's local regions are flirting with crypto, and it could very well earn them more than a Livret A.

Brussels holds its breath. As August 1st approaches, the trade dispute with Washington slides into strategic confrontation. In the face of the threat of a 30% surcharge on European imports, Paris and Berlin demand a firm response. Their goal: to push the EU to activate, for the first time, the anti-coercion instrument.

Imagine the Louvre Carousel filled with computers, post-its, and high-fives among coders: that’s how the RaiseHack finals took place on July 8-9, in parallel with the RAISE Summit, the main European gathering dedicated to AI. The 2025 edition truly earned its title of the world’s largest AI hackathon: over 6,000 developers registered across all Tracks, a record certified by the organizing foundation.

As of August 1, 2025, the rate of the Livret A will plunge to 1.7%, penalizing the 58 million French people who invest their savings there. A strategic but unpopular decision, which reignites the debate on access to fair and effective savings. In response, the Bank of France revives a long-underused solution: the Popular Savings Account. In this battle of returns, the lines of fracture between safety and performance are being redrawn.

When the Assembly knits bitcoin to recycle excess electricity, power plants smile, miners get busy... and digital gold suddenly becomes more French than a baguette under the arm.

The preferred savings account of the French is about to face a serious setback. The rate of the Livret A, held by more than 55 million people, will drop to 1.7% on August 1, 2025, down from 2.4% today. This is a significant decline, the largest since 2009, validated by the Banque de France and in accordance with the regulatory formula. In an still fragile economic climate, this decision reignites the debate on the profitability of regulated savings and raises questions about the future choices of savers in search of alternative solutions.

The shadow of Elon Musk looms once again over Europe. The Paris court has opened a criminal investigation into the platform X, suspected of algorithmic manipulation for the purposes of foreign interference. This case, at the crossroads of cybercrime, European justice, and geopolitical tensions, could mark a new escalation in the trade war between the United States and the European Union.

France's economy recorded a trade deficit of 7.6 billion euros in May. A concerning trend for investors.

Since the beginning of July, investors have been lending to Italy at a lower rate than that demanded for France. Indeed, the curve has inverted for the first time since 2005, weakening Paris's position in the hierarchy of sovereign risk in the euro area. Yet, France maintains a better rating. This paradox points to a perceptible reality: markets are doubtful. And in this hesitation, alternative assets are gaining ground.

Despite a decline in profits, companies in the CAC 40 are increasingly attentive to their shareholders. In 2024, they maintain record payouts, contrary to traditional economic signals. In an environment marked by sluggish growth, rising inflation, and unstable markets, this strategy raises questions. Is it a sign of strength or a risky bet? While shareholder profitability remains a priority, the gap between distributed profits and actual performance raises doubts about the sustainability of this model.

The world of French tech is reaching a new milestone. Sequans, a specialist in IoT semiconductors, chooses Bitcoin to strengthen its financial strategy. A rare, bold decision that carries significant meaning in the current economic context.

A coffee, an unfindable place, a disappearance: in Maisons-Alfort, crypto comes out of the virtual to end up in a bag, version grand banditisme 3.0.

After two years of suffocation, the French real estate market is showing measurable signs of recovery. Driven by falling interest rates and price stabilization, the first concrete signals are confirmed by FNAIM figures and field observations reported by Laforêt. Caution is gradually giving way to a recovery, admittedly still fragile but tangible. In an uncertain economic environment, this flicker gives new life to a sector long paralyzed. The question remains whether this momentum can be sustainable.

Finance: The savings rate of the French is the highest since 1979. We provide you with all the details in this article!

For several months, France has been bustling on the digital scene. At the heart of this excitement: Telegram, the messaging app favored by digital dissidents. Its founder, Pavel Durov, is no longer content with defending freedom of expression: he directly accuses the French authorities. In a recent interview, he raised a serious alarm. According to him, France is drifting, and this drift could precipitate a societal collapse.

For the first time, the idea of putting France under the guardianship of the IMF has crossed the gates of Bercy. Long reserved for countries in crisis, this perspective, now acknowledged at the highest level of the state, reveals the extent of the budgetary derailment. An abyssal debt, soaring interest charges, and pressure from rating agencies form an explosive cocktail. The signal is clear: French economic sovereignty is wavering, and international institutions are now scrutinizing Paris with the same severity as struggling economies.

At a time when financial distrust spreads in a click, a TikTok video posted at the end of May has reignited fears of increased state control. It claims that starting from October 2025, any transfer of more than 800 euros between individuals would be blocked for 24 hours for tax verification. Within a few days, the rumor has caused unrest among thousands of French citizens. What does the regulation actually say? And why is this viral announcement completely unfounded?

The real estate credit market, long stagnant, is beginning a clear recovery. In two months, the demand for loans has almost doubled, driven by a decrease in rates and a reopening of bank lending. After two years of blockage due to the sharp rise in the cost of money, this turnaround was expected. However, is this improvement sustainable or just a simple catch-up effect? While April marks a turning point, the sector is questioning: are we witnessing the beginning of a cycle or a fragile pause?

New development in the crypto jungle: the police have apprehended another suspect, while the alleged leader, hiding in Morocco, awaits extradition... The noose is tightening.

Nine months after his spectacular arrest at Bourget airport, the founder of Telegram gives his first television interview to Tucker Carlson. Between misunderstanding and mistrust, Pavel Durov firmly contests the French accusations. What is the real story behind this case that has shaken the tech world?

A criminal crypto network, targeted tech figures, a suspect tracked down to Morocco. The case that shakes France and forces the state to react. Between violence, crypto, and security: dive into the burning file that exposes the flaws of an ecosystem.

The public debt of the major economic powers of the G7 is at the center of concerns in 2025. Amid growing worries and heightened vigilance, the fiscal management of these nations is becoming a key indicator of global economic stability. The downgrade of the United States' triple-A rating and disappointing bond sales in Japan perfectly illustrate this new tension and highlight the risks associated with increasingly unsustainable levels of indebtedness. These alarming signals reinforce investors' doubts and amplify the volatility of global financial markets.

A large judicial operation is shaking up the French crypto ecosystem. The Paris prosecutor's office has just indicted 25 individuals, including six minors, for their alleged involvement in several kidnapping attempts targeting figures in the crypto sector. Does this offensive finally mark a turning point in the fight against this new form of crime?