French President Emmanuel Macron will speak during Paris Blockchain Week 2026, April 15 and 16 at the Carrousel du Louvre. Stablecoins backed by the euro, digital euro, financial sovereignty: the Head of State will address the key areas of European policy on digital assets. This is the first time that a current president of a G7 country has spoken at an institutional conference dedicated to digital assets.
In brief
- Emmanuel Macron will speak in front of 10,000 participants at Paris Blockchain Week, at the Carrousel du Louvre, April 15-16, 2026.
- The president will address three strategic topics: euro stablecoins, the ECB's digital euro project and the European regulatory framework under MiCA.
- This is the first intervention by a current G7 head of state in an institutional conference devoted to digital assets.
- French government officials involved in European regulation will also be present.
An unprecedented political signal for digital assets in Europe
The announcement was confirmed on March 26, 2026 by the organizers of Paris Blockchain Week. Emmanuel Macron will become the first current president of a G7 country to speak at an institutional conference entirely devoted to blockchain and digital assets. The event will be held at the Carrousel du Louvre on April 15 and 16.
His speech will focus on three strategic axes: the development of stablecoins indexed to the euro, the introduction of a digital euro led by the European Central Bank (ECB), and the establishment of regulatory frameworks capable of positioning Europe at the heart of the global digital economy. Senior French government officials, directly involved in the European regulation of digital assets and institutional financial infrastructure, will also be present.
This intervention is part of the continuity of repeated positions taken by the Head of State on the international scene. At the Davos Forum, Macron repeatedly called on European governments and institutions to accelerate their engagement in digital financial infrastructure. The move from words to action, within the confines of a specialized conference, constitutes a major symbolic turning point.
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Euro stablecoins and digital euro: the battle for monetary sovereignty
The subject is not new for the French president. In December 2025, in a column published by the Financial TimesMacron had already urged Europe to strengthen the international role of the euro through the development of euro stablecoins and the introduction of a digital euro, while creating safe and liquid assets to finance defense and technology.
The observation underlying this position is clear. US dollar-backed stablecoins overwhelmingly dominate the global market — accounting for more than 99% of fiat-backed stablecoins — while those pegged to the euro account for just 0.19% of an estimated $313 billion market. This asymmetry mechanically reinforces the role of the dollar as the world reserve currency, to the detriment of the euro.
At the same time, the ECB's digital euro project is moving forward. The preparation phase launched in November 2023 ended in October 2025, and the ECB initiated the next phase, focused on technical preparation. If European legislation is adopted in 2026, the ECB is targeting a potential first issuance by 2029, with tests planned from mid-2027.
The geopolitical context adds additional urgency. In the United States, the Trump administration signed the GENIUS Act in July 2025, the first American federal framework for payment stablecoins. Washington actively encourages the development of dollar-backed stablecoins, including on European soil. China, for its part, is accelerating the deployment of the digital yuan. Macron's intervention at PBW 2026 is part of this race for digital monetary sovereignty.
France, spearhead of crypto regulation in Europe
The Élysée's commitment to PBW 2026, now in its seventh edition, reflects a deliberate strategy to position France as a benchmark regulatory model within the European Union.
France played a pioneering role in the regulation of digital assets. In 2019, the PACTE law created the status of Digital Asset Service Provider (PSAN), imposing compliance requirements on players in the sector. This regime inspired the European MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets) regulation, which came into force at the end of 2024. The AMF has already granted several MiCA approvals in France, notably to Société Générale Forge.
The transitional period for PSANs ends on July 1, 2026. On this date, only PSCA approved service providers (Crypto-Asset Service Providers) under MiCA will be able to operate legally in France and the European Union. Non-compliant actors will have to cease their activities. This deadline, which falls less than three months after Paris Blockchain Week, gives the event increased strategic importance.
Paris has established itself as a major European hub for digital assets. Ile-de-France now welcomes teams from major global institutional players. This dynamic, supported by a clear regulatory framework and a demonstrated political will, places the French capital in direct competition with London (post-Brexit) and Frankfurt.
PBW 2026: an unprecedented institutional platform
Beyond the presidential intervention, the 2026 edition of Paris Blockchain Week stands out for the density of its platform. The event will welcome participants from more than 100 countries, with representatives from BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole, Banque de France, HSBC, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, BlackRock, Deutsche Bank and Fidelity, among others.
Among the already confirmed speakers are Nouriel Roubini (NYU), Natasha Cazenave (ESMA), Chuck Mounts (S&P Global), Nikhil Sharma (BlackRock), Martha Reyes (Fidelity), Kara Kennedy (JP Morgan) and Sabih Behzad (Deutsche Bank). Discussions will cover tokenization, custody models, stablecoins, institutional-grade blockchain infrastructure and regulatory frameworks.
The week will begin with the VIP dinner at the Château de Versailles, a private evening bringing together 500 leaders from finance, tech and institutions. This exclusive format reflects the resolutely institutional positioning of PBW, which stands out from mainstream crypto conferences focused on speculation.
The Start in Block competition will also welcome more than 1,000 candidate startups, with more than $10 million in prizes up for grabs, confirmed by the organizers.
What this changes for the European crypto ecosystem
The intervention of a G7 head of state in an event dedicated to digital assets sends a strong signal on several levels.
For institutions : political commitment at the highest level legitimizes investment strategies in digital assets. Large capital allocators, constrained by fiduciary mandates, get a major regulatory confidence signal.
For European crypto players : presidential recognition strengthens the legitimacy of the ecosystem and accelerates the convergence between traditional finance and decentralized finance.
For regulators : the support of the Élysée confirms France's proactive orientation in the implementation of MiCA and in the competition to become the leading regulatory hub in Europe.
Questions remain unanswered. The tension between decentralized philosophy and institutional control remains unresolved. Compliance costs impose high entry barriers for small players. And competition with dollar stablecoins will remain fierce, regardless of European political voluntarism.
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