• Eleven French players in the digital assets and blockchain industry have come together to form a professional association representing the sector with the aim of developing the digital assets industry in France and Europe, the Association pour le Développement des Actifs Numériques (ADAN).
  • The association will represent the industry in dealings with government and civil society.

Paris, January 14, 2020 – For several years now, digital assets have been booming. Bitcoin and hundreds of other assets are now traded on specialized protocols: cryptomoney, “ICO” tokens, stablecoins, representations of real assets or financial rights… This new field – that of digital value – is immense and is giving rise to new verticals and new champions.

In France, a specialised industry has developed since 2011 and today covers all the activities of the sector: exchange platforms, brokers, security equipment, protocols, advice and products. It now represents more than 50 companies and thousands of jobs. The PACTE lawcountry also has one of the best adapted and most innovative legal frameworks in the world for the development of activities related to digital assets. This relative success, however, masks a major competitive shortfall compared to the industry giants located in the United States and Asia. It is crucial that France and Europe take their full place, for economic as well as political reasons.

To accelerate the structuring of the industry, promote it to public authorities and private players and foster its development, the companies ARK Ecosystem, Blockchain Partner,Coinhouse, Coinhouse Custody Services, ConsenSys France, iExec, Kaiko, Ledger, LGO, Nomadic Labs and Woorton are now pooling their efforts to create ADAN, the Association for the Development of Digital Assets. All stakeholders are invited to join the initiative.

The founding members of Adan
The founding members of ADAN

The Association’s actions, coordinated by two permanent staff members dedicated to its activity, consist of helping to put into practice the new requirements applicable to token issuers and service providers of services based on digital assets in the digital agePACTE law, to promote the solutions already developed by the industry, to promote the improvement of the existing legal and tax system and to propose to the public authorities targeted support measures to develop an industry of international scope.

For its launch, the Association will soon organize its first event around the theme: “Digital assets: opportunities for France and Europe”. To express your interest in this event, to join the association or any other request, please send a message to [email protected]. 

Simon Polrot, President of the Association, highlights the progress made in France: “In recent years, existing associations have given impetus to initiatives at the highest level of government, which have led to the creation of one of the most suitable legal frameworks in the world. I salute all the players who have contributed to this and I am very proud to have the opportunity, with ADAN, to professionalise these efforts and intensify them in France, of course, but also at European level. »

Eric Larchevêque, Executive Chairman of Ledger and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Coinhouse, added: “Today, the country has taken a first positive step with the PACTE law, and we welcome it. But we need to go further to make France a major player. It is a real change in mentality that must take place among institutions and economic players and we will be there to stimulate and support it. »