On November 8, the first-of-its-kind CryptoAsset Institute held an official opening at the Center Leonard de Vinci in the business district outside Paris.

The institute will support and conduct research related to blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies. Its Scientific Council includes 11 experts from major French educational institutions, such as the Center National for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the École Polytechnique. A committee of 6 specialists, including Ledger co-founder Nicolas Bacca and Paymium cryptocurrency exchange founder Pierre Noizat, will also supervise the work of the institute.

According to Cyril Grunspan, Director of the Cryptoassets Institute, it will focus primarily on educational objectives:

“Our goal is not to exert pressure, but to create a forum for discussion about crypto assets.”

The opening was accompanied by two lectures: historian Jacques Favier spoke about the history of currencies up to the arrival of Bitcoin, and crypto expert David Poincheval spoke about zero-knowledge proofs and anonymity. The Institute will hold such public events regularly.

Related: The Bitcoin-centric AI language model aims to promote Bitcoin education and adoption

France is actively seeking to play a leadership role in Europe regarding the digital economy and innovations. In September, local telecommunications group Iliad unveiled a €100 million ($106 million) investment to fund the establishment of a “Lab of Excellence” dedicated to artificial intelligence research in Paris. In addition to the laboratory, Iliad acquired what it said was “the most powerful AI cloud supercomputer deployed to date in Europe.”

Amid the market crisis in the first half of 2023, French cryptocurrency companies accounted for 27% of all new investment deals concluded in the fintech sector.

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