"Tickets" of bitcoins sold at tobacconists: regulators sound the alarm – Business

The Banque de France, the Autorité des Marchés Financiers and the Prudential Supervisory Authority are warning individuals about the plan to sell bitcoins in tobacco shops.

Announcing an agreement with the National Confederation of tobacconists, the startup KeplerK has made a very nice media coup: in 2019, it will be possible to buy crypto-currencies (for the moment, bitcoins) by going to an office of tobacco. Once the purchase is made, the customer leaves with a ticket containing a code to type in the digital wallet provided by KeplerK.

Except that the initiative is far from receiving unanimous approval. A joint statement signed by the Banque de France, the Autorité des marchés financiers and the Prudential Supervisory Authority (which is linked to the BdF), and published on November 26, has come to put the points on the i . At the moment, KeplerK " does not have any authorization or approval ", In France or abroad.

Jump into the unknown

Individuals who would like to make investments in bitcoins – which can be risky with regard to the trajectory of the course – do so at their own risk: the three authorities note that the KeplerK project " is not likely to provide any guarantee to the customer ". Especially since it is not certain that the clientele of tobacconists who would face the offer is the most knowledgeable.

More generally, the three regulators recall the usual – and real – risks badociated with cryptocurrencies: they are speculative badets that trade outside of any regulated market and have no legal tender. But above all: they are very volatile badets and exposed to hacking. No help can be provided in the event of a crash or empty wallet.