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Showing posts with the label france

French minister steps in to help stop crypto kidnappings

France’s interior minister says his government must “take measures to protect” crypto professionals, as he announced plans to tackle crypto-related kidnappings in the country. Bruno Retailleau told French radio station Europe 1 that he will meet with crypto industry representatives on Friday after the daughter and grandson of Paymium CEO Pierre Noizat were almost abducted by four masked men in a van earlier this week. Luckily, a passerby was able to help prevent the kidnapping, however, it did result in three individuals requiring hospital treatment for light injuries. Retailleau said that he will “work with them on their security so that they become aware of the risks .” “We must jointly take measures to protect them,” he added. Crypto execs hiring private security after high-profile kidnappings, report Read more: Ledger co-founder David Balland released by kidnappers, report Authorities are still pursuing the would-be kidnappers, but Retaille...

Bitcoin gains traction in West Africa with educational drive

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As anti-French sentiment rides high in West Africa, Bitique opens its doors, the “Bitcoin Mastermind” conference beckons and more nodes come online to verify the Bitcoin blockchain. Bitcoin (BTC) adoption in West Africa is dominated by Nigeria, the crypto powerhouse and the region’s economic engine. But against a backdrop of anti-French sentiment, Bitcoin educational efforts are also bubbling away in French-speaking West Africa. Senegal recently opened its first physical Bitcoin exchange and education center called Bitique, and the country of 17 million people will host another Bitcoin Forum in the capital, Dakar, in December, where pseudonymous local Bitcoin advocate, known as Nourou, runs an independent Bitcoin node beamed from space. In Benin, a country of 13 million people to the west of Nigeria, the Bitcoin-only Bitcoin Mastermind conference takes place next month. The first of its kind in the country, Bitcoin Mastermind unites Bitcoin entrepreneurs and crypto enthusiasts from h...