French Riviera City Cannes Leads Global Crypto Adoption with Ambitious 2025 Plan
CANNES EMBRACES CRYPTOCURRENCY PAYMENTS
Merchants in Cannes, France, home of the renowned Cannes Film Festival, will begin accepting cryptocurrency payments by summer 2025, with municipal officials targeting a 90% adoption rate among local businesses. According to Cointelegraph, the initiative aims to attract high-net-worth visitors by modernizing the city's commercial payment ecosystem. Artem Shaginyan, founder of Web3 payment company Lunu Pay, told reporters this initiative shows "Web3 payments aren't just a niche thing anymore" but can work in everyday settings.
The payment adoption plan precedes the 8th Ethereum Community Conference (EthCC), scheduled for June 30 to July 3, 2025, at the iconic Palais des Festivals et des Congrès. The event, Europe's largest annual Ethereum gathering, expects over 6,500 registered participants with total attendance exceeding 10,000 according to Crypto News. Mayor David Lisnard has already conducted training sessions for business owners, presenting crypto adoption as a step toward modernization rather than an ideological choice.
GROWING TREND OF MUNICIPAL CRYPTO ADOPTION
Cannes joins a growing list of cities and regions embracing cryptocurrency payments for both commercial and municipal services. The Swiss city of Lugano started accepting Bitcoin and stablecoin payments for taxes and municipal fees in December 2023, as part of a broader initiative to become a global crypto hub, according to CryptoRank.
In North America, Colorado governor Jared Polis directed the state's Department of Revenue to begin accepting crypto tax payments in September 2022. More recently, Vancouver approved a motion in December 2024 to make the jurisdiction a "Bitcoin-friendly city" by exploring BTC integration into the city's financial system and possibly adopting a Bitcoin treasury strategy, as reported by Cryptopolitan.
Panama City added to this trend in April 2025 when Mayor Mayer Mizrachi announced that taxes, municipal fees, bus tickets, and permits could be paid using select cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ether, USDC, and USDT. BitcoinEthereumNews reports that the city bypassed restrictive laws requiring transactions in U.S. dollars by partnering with a bank that immediately converts received digital assets into USD.
CANNES AS A CRYPTO TOURISM DESTINATION
Cannes, which attracts more than 3 million visitors annually, aims to establish itself as a global hub for crypto tourism ahead of EthCC 2025. Local merchants view cryptocurrency acceptance as a way to cater to wealthy, tech-savvy travelers who increasingly use decentralized finance instead of traditional banking, according to data from CoinMarketCap.
The municipal government is creating a "crypto-friendly" merchant map to guide visitors to shops and restaurants that accept digital currencies. EthCC organizers selected Cannes for its eighth edition after previous successful events in other European cities. The Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, known for hosting the Cannes Film Festival, will welcome blockchain developers, entrepreneurs, and researchers from around the world during the four-day conference.
Local businesses are receiving practical training covering technical setup, legal considerations, accounting best practices, and tax implications. Mayor Lisnard sees this initiative primarily as a way to boost local commerce and tourism while enhancing Cannes' reputation as a premier destination for major events, not just an ideological stance on cryptocurrency.
IMPLICATIONS FOR GLOBAL CRYPTO ADOPTION
The Cannes initiative reflects broader cryptocurrency adoption trends worldwide. According to Statista, the global user base of cryptocurrencies increased by nearly 190 percent between 2018 and 2020, with continued growth through 2025. The total number of identity-verified cryptoasset users worldwide increased by approximately 40 million in the second half of 2024 alone.
A recent report from Security.org found that 14 percent of non-owners plan to enter the crypto market in 2025, with another 48 percent open to doing so. Bitcoin remains the most sought-after cryptocurrency, with two-thirds of potential buyers planning to purchase BTC in 2025. This trend aligns with growing acceptance from traditional financial institutions and some governments.
For cities like Cannes, cryptocurrency adoption may provide protection against inflation, increased investment, and improved global status. Research from DemandSage indicates that over 300 million people worldwide now use blockchain technology, with nearly 90% of surveyed businesses reporting deployment of blockchain in some capacity. These numbers suggest municipal crypto adoption will likely continue to expand as more cities seek to attract tech-savvy visitors and investors.
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