While the European Union is preparing to fully deploy the MiCA regulation by the end of the year, Germany voices a dissenting opinion. The main opposition party, the AfD, has just submitted a shock motion to the Bundestag. It demands that bitcoin be recognized as a strategic reserve asset, distinct from other cryptos. This unexpected position questions the uniformity of the European regulatory framework and could pave the way for a revision of the institutional treatment of bitcoin within member states.
In brief
- •The AfD, Germany’s main opposition party, has submitted a motion to the Bundestag to have Bitcoin recognized as a strategic reserve asset.
- •The party believes that Bitcoin, as a decentralized technology, should be excluded from the MiCA regulatory framework applied to cryptos.
- •The motion advocates several measures: maintaining tax exemption, the right to self-custody, and potential integration of Bitcoin into national reserves.
- •This initiative fits within a broader European dynamic, with similar calls in France to review or relax MiCA.
A Parliamentary Motion to Recognize Bitcoin as a Strategic Asset
In a motion submitted on October 26 to the Bundestag, the opposition party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) calls on the German government to make bitcoin a strategic asset, distinct from other cryptos regulated by the European MiCA framework, while the country allegedly let 5 billion slip away in BTC.
The text expresses concern about the impact of current regulation on the local ecosystem, and estimates that “the hyper-regulation of bitcoin service providers and users within the framework of national implementation of MiCA jeopardizes Germany’s innovation capacity, its financial freedom, and its digital sovereignty”.
The AfD considers that bitcoin cannot be assimilated to a simple financial asset. Its decentralized structure, algorithmic scarcity, and technological potential would justify, according to the party, a dedicated political and regulatory treatment.
In this motion, several concrete demands are highlighted to strengthen bitcoin’s role in the national strategy:
- •Recognize bitcoin as a strategic asset that can be part of national reserves, due to its resilience against monetary instability.
- •Preserve the tax exemption after 12 months of holding, considered an incentive for long-term investment.
- •Maintain VAT exemption on bitcoin transactions to avoid disadvantageous treatment compared to conventional currencies.
- •Guarantee the right to self-custody for citizens, seen as a fundamental protection of financial freedom.
- •Explore bitcoin’s energy uses, particularly as a solution for integrating renewable energy surpluses.
These proposals bring the discussion around bitcoin to a new level in Germany: one of digital sovereignty and economic policy, far beyond purely fiscal or technological logics.
Towards a European Debate on MiCA’s Application?
This AfD position comes amid a growing debate on the applicability of the MiCA framework uniformly to all cryptos.
Germany is not an isolated case. On October 22, in France, Éric Ciotti, MP and president of the UDR party, submitted a similar motion calling to relax MiCA’s application to foster innovation, especially concerning stablecoins, while expressing firm opposition to the introduction of a central bank digital currency (CBDC).
These initiatives suggest the emergence of criticism of the European regulation, seen by some actors as a barrier rather than a lever for technological adoption.
On the defenders’ side of MiCA, voices remind that the European regulatory framework has enabled Germany to position itself as one of the crypto market leaders in Europe. According to a report published by analytics firm Chainalysis, Germany ranks third in Europe in terms of crypto value received, behind the UK and France.
This performance reveals the German paradox: while the country clearly benefits from its crypto-friendly legislation, part of its political class now worries about potential excesses arising from overly strict regulation.
In the medium term, these doubts could open the door to a redefinition of the scope of MiCA, or the introduction of national exceptions for specific assets like bitcoin. However, it remains to be seen whether these calls will be heard in Brussels or if harmonization remains the Union’s top priority. This eminently political debate could heavily influence the regulatory balances to come. Meanwhile, the German initiative sets a notable precedent and could encourage other member states to demand more flexibility in applying European crypto regulation.