Crypto Watch #2

France considering a Bitcoin Reserve and massive Crypto Adoption

A bill establishing a national Bitcoin reserve is being evaluated in France’s National Assembly. UDR party leader Eric Ciotti proposes that the country gradually acquire about 2% of all BTC (roughly BTC 420K) in the eight years following the proposal’s adoption. The government plans to fund the reserve in several manners but most notably by using surplus nuclear and hydroelectric power to mine BTC. Opposing the ECB’s digital euro, the bill favors private stablecoins managed by trusted companies. The proposal would cut taxes for crypto businesses, while also strengthening rules to help mining and trading grow in France. The overall goal is to make France a leader in the digital economy, but if passed, this bill would likely catalyze similar policies across the region.

Prediction Market coming to Trump’s Truth Social

Truth Social, a social media platform majority-owned by US President Donald Trump, has announced an upcoming prediction market feature named Truth Predict. It would enable users to bet on the outcome of everything from elections to sporting events. The feature follows an existing partnership with crypto exchange Crypto.com, which has seen their native token, CRO, used as a utility token on Truth Social and its video streaming platform Truth+. This move puts the Trump family in competition with prediction-market leading platforms Polymarket and Kalshi, which reached a combined record monthly volume of USD 1.44Bln this last month. “Prediction markets are poised to be a multi-deca-billion dollar industry,” said Crypto.com CEO Kris Marszalek.

Japan’s $2 Trillion Payment Giant TIS Launches Blockchain Payroll with Ava Labs

Japan-based payment processor TIS Inc., handling around USD 2 Tln annually, is partnering with Ava Labs to develop a blockchain-based fintech platform on the Avalanche network. The initiative enables businesses to issue and settle stablecoins and tokenized assets while providing on-chain payroll solutions for small and mid-sized enterprises. The platform ensures full compliance with Japan’s Payment Services Act, offering cross-border payments, faster settlement times, and reduced transaction costs. By combining TIS’s financial reach with Avalanche’s scalable blockchain infrastructure, the project underscores Japan’s growing focus on digital asset integration. This collaboration positions the country as a leader in fintech, showcasing practical applications of blockchain technology in mainstream finance.

IBM Launches Digital Asset Haven to Accelerate Institutional Crypto Adoption

IBM has introduced Digital Asset Haven, a SaaS platform designed for banks, governments, and large enterprises to manage digital assets across more than 40 blockchains. Built in collaboration with wallet provider Dfns, the platform combines enterprise-grade custody, token governance, AML/KYC compliance, and policy-driven workflows into a single system. By supporting stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets, Digital Asset Haven enables institutions to scale crypto operations while adhering to regulatory and security standards. IBM positions the platform as a bridge between traditional finance and Web3, allowing institutional investors to safely explore digital asset markets, deploy tokenized solutions, and accelerate mainstream crypto adoption.