Bitcoins Under The Hammer In France 03/17/21 AT 3:46 PM Governments might look askance at bitcoin, but it does not mean they do not want to cash in on its soaring value and France is set to pocket nearly $30 million from its first-ever action of the cryptocurrency, a minister said on Wednesday. The sale was of more than 600 coins seized as part of an investigation and were valued at more than $30 million based on current market prices. Held online by the Kapandji Morhange auction house, the sale attracted nearly 1,600 bidders. "It's a sale that will raise 24 million euros ($29 million) in proceeds for the government", the minister of public finances, Olivier Dussopt, told the television channel, BFM Business, at the end of the auction.