A pro-crypto bill will be tabled today in the French Parliament by the center-right Union of the Right and Centre (UDR) party, led by lawmaker Éric Ciotti, marking the first time such a comprehensive legislative proposal on cryptocurrency has been introduced in France. 

The initiative calls for a national Bitcoin Strategic Reserve and aims to position the cryptocurrency as a form of "digital gold" to strengthen financial sovereignty.

The proposed legislation would see France aim to acquire up to 2% of Bitcoin's total supply — roughly 420,000 BTC — over the next seven to eight years, according to journalist Gregory Raymond.

To manage the reserve, the bill envisions the creation of a Public Administrative Establishment (EPA), similar in structure to France's gold and foreign-currency holdings.

Funding for the Bitcoin reserve would come from multiple sources. Surplus nuclear and hydroelectric energy would power public Bitcoin mining operations, with adapted taxation for miners to encourage domestic participation.

Back in July, French lawmakers submitted a proposal to convert surplus electricity into economic value through Bitcoin mining. The bill outlined a five-year experimental program allowing energy producers to use excess power — particularly from nuclear and renewable sources — for mining. 

The July initiative aimed to tackle France's recurring issue of energy overproduction, as producers were often forced to sell surplus electricity at a loss due to limited storage. The proposal described this as an "unacceptable economic and energy loss." 

This new bill would also allow France to retain crypto seized during legal proceedings, and a quarter of funds collected via popular savings schemes, such as the Livret A and LDDS, would be allocated to daily Bitcoin purchases — approximately 15 million euros per day, or 55,000 BTC per year. 

Pending constitutional approval, citizens could also pay certain taxes in Bitcoin.