The Bank of France has expressed a preference for the features of XRP in the development of Europe’s Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). This revelation comes from a recent tweet by crypto researcher SMQKE, which cited official documentation and statements from French authorities. The documentation in question includes a report from Piper Alderman referencing a publication by CPA Australia, which states that France has openly discussed Ripple/XRP as a possible platform for Europe’s central digital currency.
The XRP Ledger’s architecture, with its highly centralized design and permissioned network capabilities, is seen as particularly appealing for central banking requirements. This stands in contrast to open, public blockchain networks like Bitcoin or Ethereum, which, while decentralized, are less suitable for transaction privacy, speed, and regulatory control. The XRP Ledger’s design allows only authorized validators to confirm transactions, providing a high level of control and compliance essential for the issuance and management of digital currencies by state monetary authorities.
Ripple’s proposal, as highlighted in the Piper Alderman document, showcases how the XRP Ledger can meet critical requirements for speed and security that are not attainable with fully decentralized public networks. The report adds that while some blockchain technologies may not align with CBDC goals, configurations like XRPL can still meet the high standards required for official monetary systems. This has earned XRP the trust of many banks that consider it a viable technological foundation for CBDCs.
Further supporting this position is a recent speech delivered by Denis Beau, the First Deputy Governor of the Bank of France, at the Fintech R:Evolution summit in Paris. Beau outlined three pillars for developing the European financial ecosystem, one of which is the tokenization of finance. He confirmed that the lack of a secure settlement asset is currently impeding tokenized finance in Europe. In response, he stated that the Eurosystem has committed to providing a wholesale CBDC by 2026 to meet this need. The Bank of France has identified that integrating such a secure asset is crucial not only for domestic financial stability but also for ensuring Europe’s monetary sovereignty.
In this context, the suitability of platforms like the XRP Ledger becomes especially relevant. The documentation notes that Ripple’s proposal demonstrates how certain configurations of blockchain technology can satisfy the security, efficiency, and scalability requirements for CBDC implementation. Beau also emphasized the importance of harmonized regulatory frameworks such as MiCA and the Pilot Regime in facilitating the growth of tokenized assets across Europe. He pointed out that despite progress, significant obstacles remain, particularly the need for central bank-backed infrastructure to enable safe and scalable blockchain-based financial systems.
The formal inclusion of market representatives in discussions about regulatory implementation and technological deployment signals a coordinated effort by French and European financial authorities to shape the digital economy. Beau concluded his speech by stating his conviction that the French ecosystem has strong potential in developing high-value-added CBDC use cases. Taken together, the statements from the Bank of France, the referenced CPA Australia report, and the documentation shared by SMQKE converge on a central message: the features of the XRP Ledger align closely with the operational demands of a European CBDC. While no final platform has been officially designated, XRP’s architecture remains under active consideration by key monetary authorities in Europe.
