France's Newly-Elected President Brandishes a Bitcoin Hardware Wallet

The newly elected, left-leaning president of France, Emmanuel Macron, hit the front page of Reddit with a photo of him brandishing a Ledger Blue bitcoin hardware wallet. The photo got circulated on Monday after Marcron defeated the right nationalist Marine Le Pen. The photo generated about 1500 up votes.

Also read: Bitcoin Network Hashrate Surpasses Four Exahash Per Second

Even though the photo inspired many crypto-enthusiasts to become excited that France’s new president might be a tech geek, there is not much information about his stance on bitcoin or his level of expertise.

Questions Regarding Macron’s Bitcoin Expertise

According to various news sources, the photo was originally taken last March at the Cap Digital tech event…but this is nothing out of the ordinary. As part of his previous job as Minister of Finance, he constantly had to provide the pretense of appreciating technology, even if he knows little to nothing about it.

There is one roughly translated quote from a french article that suggests he might possess some inkling of understanding. Macron said,

“financial regulation to allow experimentation of blockchains dedicated to the market of Bonds…If the experimentation is conclusive, the government could extend it to unlisted securities in order to promote the emergence of a SME exchange.”

Macron’s Politics and Blockchain Ingenuity

Regardless if the quote says anything about his knowledge of cryptocurrencies, trusting politicians to do the right thing with technology is always a contentious topic. politicians mainly focus on regulating industries and writing laws.

This is especially true since Macron generally supports left-leaning ideologies, which are notoriously hostile to any type of money. Macron even supports the EU and policies that work to create communal environments, which do not usually resonate with the spirit of bitcoin or any money. One Steemit article said,

“Macron for instance is a big booster of the EU and avows liberal stances. He may well follow EU perspectives which will do nothing to help France as it submerges into the red ooze of a union that is determined to swallow countries whole in order to ensure they lose their identity.”

Therefore, the idea that Macron may appreciate cryptocurrency and cryptography is likely not within the realm of possibility. On the other side of the coin, times are changing and even politicians are starting to be humbled by the sheer power of blockchain technology.

Do you think Macron is a true supporter of blockchain technology? Do you think politicians will eventually support bitcoin? Let us know in the comments below.

Images courtesy of reddit.com and Shutterstock

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