According to Cointelegraph, merchants in Cannes, France, renowned for hosting the international Cannes Film Festival, are preparing to accept cryptocurrency payments by summer 2025. This initiative aims to attract clientele with high disposable income by modernizing the city's commercial payment ecosystem. Artem Shaginyan, founder and head of strategy at Web3 payment company Lunu Pay, revealed that the Cannes municipal government is targeting a 90% adoption rate among local merchants. Shaginyan emphasized the significance of this move, stating, "This is a big signal. When a city like Cannes, known globally for culture and commerce, starts integrating crypto at scale, it shows that Web3 payments aren’t just a niche thing anymore. It’s about proving that crypto can work in everyday settings, not just online or in theory." In February, Cannes Mayor David Lisnard announced a training session for business owners and professionals to promote the widespread acceptance of crypto payments in the city.
Cannes' shift toward embracing cryptocurrencies reflects a broader trend of crypto adoption by city, state, and federal governments as these institutions seek to remain competitive on the global stage. Other jurisdictions have also taken steps to modernize with crypto. In December 2023, the Swiss city of Lugano began accepting Bitcoin (BTC) and stablecoin payments for taxes and municipal fees as part of its initiative to become a global crypto hub. In the United States, Governor Jared Polis of Colorado directed the state's Department of Revenue to start accepting crypto tax payments in September 2022. Similarly, the Canadian city of Vancouver passed a motion in December 2024 to explore integrating Bitcoin into the city's financial system and potentially adopting a Bitcoin treasury strategy. More recently, in April 2025, Panama City announced that taxes and municipal fees could now be paid in crypto, including Bitcoin, Ether (ETH), Circle's US-dollar stablecoin (USDC), and Tether's USDt (USDT) token. Panama City Mayor Mayer Mizrachi suggested that this move would modernize the city and bring increased investment as well as global recognition.
