French Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin has proposed eliminating cash transactions across the country, arguing that physical money enables criminal networks and drug trafficking. Speaking before a Senate commission on Thursday, Darmanin said digital payments—including cryptocurrencies—offer far greater traceability, making it harder for illicit activity to go undetected.
“A large part of daily delinquency and even criminal networks rely on cash,” Darmanin stated. “The end of cash would prevent the establishment of drug dealing points.” While he acknowledged that banning cash would not completely eliminate the drug trade, he argued that traceable money makes it “more complicated” for criminals to hide their finances.
Darmanin also addressed the likelihood of criminal groups turning to cryptocurrencies in response, but claimed this would still be an improvement. “Crypto is often easier to trace,” he said, citing blockchain technology and upcoming EU rules that will require crypto providers to share sender and recipient data with tax authorities.
French minister of justice proposes to ban cash to make life harder for drug dealers. He is aware that it will make them use crypto instead, but argues that crypto is easier to trace than cash. It's been a long way from "BTC is drug money" to "crypto is easier to trace". https://t.co/f5SpWSFIJJ
— Clément Lesaege (@clesaege) May 22, 2025
The proposal is likely to face pushback from the French public. A 2024 survey by the Banque de France found that while card payments are now most common (used by 62% of respondents), 60% still see access to cash as “important or very important.” Among the top reasons cited were anonymity (40%), immediate payment (37%), and better control over spending (31%).
Critics have raised concerns that banning cash could lead to excessive financial surveillance and infringe on personal freedoms. Darmanin acknowledged those fears but argued that unregulated cash use poses a greater risk to public safety. “It is good that we monitor notaries, banks, and real estate,” he said, “but it’s time we look at parallel cash circuits that bypass the formal economy altogether.”
France already enforces strict rules on cash use. Payments over €1,000 to professionals are banned unless the payer has no bank account, and private transactions over €1,500 require a written agreement. At the EU level, a bloc-wide €10,000 cash limit will take effect in 2027, aimed at preventing large anonymous transfers by criminal groups.
Darmanin’s proposal would take these restrictions further by phasing out cash entirely—a move that could reshape daily life and spark intense national debate.
