When Politics Meets Proof-of-Work

Sarah Knafo, France’s most crypto-savvy politician, just made chess moves that would make Macron blush. Inviting Jan3’s Samson Mow—the man who turned El Salvador’s bitcoin playbook into required reading—to discuss national BTC reserves? That’s not policy discussion; that’s throwing gauntlets at central bankers.

The Numbers Behind the Noise

• Bpifrance: France’s state investment bank already deployed $27M in local crypto projects
• Blockchain Group: Now holds 1,471 BTC (roughly €90M at current prices)
• Strategic Reserve Proposal: Potentially positioning BTC alongside gold in national treasury

This isn’t amateur hour—it’s calculated institutional adoption with French characteristics.

Why This Matters Beyond Paris

Having advised three governments on crypto policy, I see Knafo’s move as either:

1. Genuine preparation for monetary disruption
2. Brilliant political theater forcing EU-wide conversation
3. Both (my wager)

European regulators still treat crypto like an STD, yet here comes France flirting with maximalist ideas. The cognitive dissonance would be hilarious if it weren’t so financially consequential.

The Samson Mow Factor

The Jan3 CEO doesn’t do courtesy calls. His participation signals serious technical discussions about:

• Cold storage solutions for nation-states
• Mining infrastructure partnerships
• Legal frameworks avoiding MiCA overreach

When someone who helped architect a country’s bitcoin standard engages, institutions listen—even if they pretend not to.

My Professional Take

This won’t trigger immediate BTC rallies, but marks critical path dependency: ✓ Establishes credible dialogue channels between policymakers and builders ✓ Normalizes ‘strategic reserve’ terminology in G7 nations ✓ Creates blueprint for other EU members considering similar moves

Bottom line? Whether this results in actual reserves or not, France just became ground zero for Europe’s inevitable reckoning with sovereign crypto strategies.