The world’s political pundits are placing their money as France prepares for the runoff election on April 24, 2019. It is between the right-wing populist Marine Le Pen and the incumbent centrist Emmanuel Macron. Much of the political debate this time revolves around economics, but there is one indispensable part of it that is largely absent from the candidates’ electoral agendas: digital assets. While Le Pen and Macron both make public statements regarding crypto matters, it seems unlikely that either of them will be able to influence any policy shifts in France’s digital economy.

Despite the current administration’s notable efforts to embrace the IT industry, France is still, in many ways, not a particularly tech-friendly country. France’s authorities have been a beacon of technology for years. fighting in the avant-garde of the European regulatory cause against United States tech behemoths’ tax “optimization” practices, such as opening European offices in more relaxed jurisdictions such as Ireland and Luxembourg.