NFT Factory: "Paris must remain at the cutting edge of the arts

THE BIG WHALE. After several months of work, you're finally opening the NFT Factory. How did you come up with the idea for such a place?

Lucie-Eléonore Riveron. The idea came from a small group of collectors last year. It was still a bit crazy on the crypto markets, there was already a lot of talk about NFTs, there was a real emulation, and we thought we needed a physical place to bring the whole community together with NFT enthusiasts and also of course the curious. Because Web3 isn't just about digital, it's also about the physical, meeting people, exchanging ideas...

We often forget, but before the NFT Factory there was the Maison du Bitcoin in Paris. That was back in 2014! This place allowed a lot of people to get together. It also led to the creation of Coinhouse (formerly La Maison du Bitcoin) and Ledger, which has become the world leader in digital asset preservation. We hope that the NFT Factory will make it possible to do the same thing.

Do you think Paris could become the capital of NFTs?

At least, that's the aim of its 128 founders who are funding the NFT Factory. Paris has always been an artistic capital, and this must continue, even if art is evolving and becoming digital. Today, there are a great many crypto-artists who live in Paris or visit regularly. With the NFT Factory (400 m2, editor's note), we want to offer them a dedicated space and raise the profile of the sector.

We can feel that something is happening in France and Europe: there are artists, collectors and an audience. We want to take advantage of the moment to make our mark, especially as other markets, such as the United States, are very dynamic, and are also developing quite quickly.

What will the NFT Factory be used for?

Not just to bring artists together. It will also enable as many people as possible to discover NFT, this new technology, this digital property that means you can own a virtual work. There will be workshops and exhibitions for this purpose.

We're right opposite the Centre Georges Pompidou, which is very popular with Parisians and tourists alike. The aim is also to enable NFT projects to organise their launch from the NFT Factory.

You've launched the NFT Factory in Paris, but do you plan to open others in France or abroad?

We've already been asked to set up Factories elsewhere. This is the case in Portugal, where there is a large NFT community. We also have contacts in Belgium and Switzerland. But the idea is already to develop the Factory in Paris and find a stable revenue model. Then we'll expand abroad.

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