Key Highlights
- CACEIS is negotiating a potential acquisition of crypto platform Meria.
- Meria was co-founded by French crypto influencer Owen Simonin (Hasheur).
- The talks reflect growing TradFi interest in tokenized finance and digital assets.
CACEIS, the asset servicing and custody arm of Crédit Agricole, is reportedly in negotiations to acquire Meria, a French crypto investment platform. The move signals deepening ties between traditional finance and the crypto sector.
The potential deal, first reported by Blockstories, highlights France’s accelerating adoption of digital assets amid broader European efforts to integrate tokenized finance into mainstream markets. Meria was co-founded by Owen Simonin, widely known as Hasheur, one of France’s most prominent crypto commentators. The platform has established itself as a player in the French crypto investment market, offering retail and institutional investors access to digital assets.
The acquisition talks come as tokenization continues to gain momentum across financial markets. While tokenizing real-world assets (RWAs) has advanced rapidly, settlement remains a challenge because many transactions still rely on traditional banking infrastructure.
France and Europe address a major barrier
Recent developments in France and across Europe suggest efforts are underway to improve settlement infrastructure. On June 25, Euroclear and Société Générale-FORGE announced tests for settling tokenized U.S. dollar commercial paper using SG-FORGE’s USD stablecoin.
Just days later, French startup Spiko launched the first UCITS money market funds in Europe capable of direct subscriptions and redemptions in EURC and USDC stablecoins. On the same day the CACEIS-Meria talks were reported, Crédit Agricole launched its euro-denominated stablecoin, EURXT, which was used to settle a subscription into a tokenized Amundi money market fund.
Together, these developments reflect growing interest among French financial institutions in on-chain settlement and tokenized treasury management.
What the acquisition could mean
If completed, the acquisition would give CACEIS access to Meria’s crypto infrastructure, technology, and customer base, while Meria could benefit from CACEIS’s regulatory experience and institutional distribution network.
The discussions also reflect increasing collaboration between traditional financial institutions and crypto-native firms as demand for regulated digital asset services grows.
Regulatory groundwork was laid in 2023
CACEIS secured official registration from French regulators in June 2023 to provide crypto custody services. The approval from France’s Financial Markets Authority (AMF) marked a milestone, allowing the custodian bank to operate fully within Europe’s progressive crypto regulatory environment.
CACEIS had been pursuing this regulatory status since 2021. Under French rules, AMF registration is mandatory for entities offering crypto-related services such as custody, exchange, or trading. That early regulatory groundwork now connects directly to the current discussions to acquire Meria.
Challenges remain
Any acquisition would still be subject to negotiations, regulatory approvals, and the integration of traditional financial infrastructure with blockchain-based systems.
While the discussions reflect growing institutional interest in digital assets, market conditions and regulatory requirements could influence the outcome of the transaction.
Also Read: Securitize Goes Public on NYSE as SECZ, Tokenizes Shares on Day One
