The French asset management company TOBAM, with $9 bln under management, has officially announced the creation of the first Bitcoin mutual fund. The goal is for institutional investors to gain access to the cryptocurrency. The company has created the fund as an unregulated alternative investment in order to provide a vehicle for allowing more regulated investors at the institutional level to gain Bitcoin exposure without the regulatory concerns. According to the business development lead, Christophe Roehri: "Direct investment in Bitcoin can be operationally challenging, from dealing with the choice of the platform, to maintaining the proper security measures in terms …

French Finance Minister Michel Sapin has announced increased control of “the use of cash in France.” Starting from September 2015, French daily Le Parisien reports, all cash transfers will be monitored, leading mostly likely to cryptocurrency regulations being tightened. The restrictions proposed by Sapin planned to take effect this September will include a 1000-euro limit on cash payments and mandatory reporting by banks of accounts which exceed 10,000 euros per month to the Money Laundering Authority TRACFIN. Regulations will also be refocused for “financial instruments that escape the oversight of the financial system,” Forex Magnates reports. Le Parisien did not …

With the recent successes in London, Las Vegas and Tel Aviv, Inside Bitcoins Conference and Expo, has proven to be one of the leading trade shows for the fast-growing Bitcoin and related cryptocurrency industry. Inside Bitcoins will now make its debut in Paris, France on November 20-21, 2014, and Cointelegraph is excited to continue its partnership and offer our readers an exclusive discount. Enter the code TELEGRAPH to receive a 10% discount on 2-Day Passes here. The full schedule for this leading crypto event is now live, and will feature sessions from many industry leaders. You can see the agenda …

This October, Paris will be welcoming the first French-speaking Bitcoin conference in the Euro zone, an event that will feature prominent names in the industry including representatives from BlockChain.info, the Bitcoin Foundation and political French figures. Euro Bitcoin will take place on October 8 2014 at the François Mitterrand site of the Bibiliothèque nationale de France (French National Library) in Paris and Cointelegraph is proud to announce that it will take part as an official media sponsor. The even will focus on 3 main objectives: educate on the Bitcoin protocol and the ecosystem, communicate on cryptocurrencies' challenges for banks, multinational …

The French Senate's committee on finance recently issued a rather positive report on virtual currencies. The document stated that the technology "can no longer be disregarded by public authorities", and, despite the risks, "Bitcoin offers multiple opportunities for the future, both as payment system and, above all, as a decentralized validation protocol," said the report. On July 23, the committee of finance heard a communication by Senators Philippe Marini and François Marc on the topic of virtual currencies. The 140 page report noted that despite the risks of volatility, anonymity and the lack of legal guarantee, Bitcoin's technology offers a …