Cannes, famous for its film festival and luxury shops, is about to become one of the first French cities to massively adopt cryptocurrencies. By the summer of 2025, almost 90% of the businesses in the Cité Azurean will accept payments in crypto.
In short
- The city of Cannes aims to adopt 90% of crypto payments by its merchants by summer 2025.
- Mayor David Lisnard is organizing training sessions for business owners and professionals.
- This initiative positions Cannes among the pioneering cities in France, alongside Toulouse which already accepts cryptos for public transport.
Cannes wants to become the French capital of Crypto payment
Cannes traders are preparing to experience a major transformation of their payment habits.
According to Artem Shaginyan, Lunu Pay strategy manager, the Cannes municipality aims to reach a spectacular adoption rate of 90% with local merchants by summer 2025. This initiative aims particularly to seduce a wealthy international clientele, especially during the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.
Mayor David Lisnard already launched the first concrete actions in February with the organization of training sessions for business owners.
These training courses will allow professionals to master the integration of crypto payment systems in their shops. Rue d'Antibes, the famous city's shopping artery, should be the first to adopt this technology massively.
“” It is a strong signal. When a city like Cannes, known worldwide for its culture and trade, begins to integrate cryptocurrencies on a large scale, this shows that web3 pays are no longer a niche “, underlines Artem Shaginyan.
This strategy positions Cannes as a precursor in the adoption of cryptos by a major tourist destination.
A dynamic that extends around the world
The Cannes initiative is part of a global adoption movement of cryptocurrencies by the municipalities. Lugano in Switzerland has already accepted Bitcoin for municipal taxes since December 2023.
Colorado in the United States and Vancouver in Canada also took the plunge, while Panama City has just announced the acceptance of cryptos for local taxes in April 2025.
In France, this trend is also confirmed. Toulouse is a pioneer with its Tisséo transport network which now accepts crypto payments for bus and metro tickets since March 2025. A recent study also reveals that 39% of French TPE-PME managers have already invested personally in cryptocurrencies.
This growing adoption reflects an evolution of consumption habits and a desire of cities to remain competitive on the international scene. For Cannes, the stake is twofold: modernize its commercial ecosystem while attracting technophile customers with high purchasing power.
The Cannes initiative could well mark a decisive turning point in the Crypto adoption in France. If experience is conclusive, other French tourist cities could quickly follow this example, thus accelerating the democratization of crypto payments in France.
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