France has permitted the sale of a majority stake in a key information middle unit of state-owned Electricité de France (EDF) to U.S.-based bitcoin miner MARA Holdings Inc., after months of nationwide safety overview.
MARA, headquartered in Florida, is buying a 64% stake in Exaion, a subsidiary that operates high-performance computing infrastructure for digital workloads. The deal, first introduced in August 2025, is valued at $168 million.
The transaction raised issues in Paris about potential overseas management over digital infrastructure. In response, the French authorities imposed circumstances earlier than signing off.
NJJ Capital, an funding agency managed by telecom billionaire Xavier Niel, will take a ten% stake in Mara France, the native entity dealing with the acquisition, in trade for a requirement {that a} French investor step in. EDF will hold a minority stake and proceed as a shopper of Exaion.
Finance Minister Roland Lescure known as the end result an indication that France stays open to worldwide funding whereas nonetheless defending its strategic pursuits.
“On this operation, the State is advancing on two fronts: we’re confirming France’s attractiveness for worldwide funding, whereas guaranteeing uncompromising safety of our strategic pursuits and our technological sovereignty,” the Minister stated. A authorities assertion added that no delicate EDF information will stay with Exaion following the sale.
Exaion’s board of administrators will now embody representatives from MARA, EDF, and NJJ.