Aged just 26, Owen Simonin, better known by his pseudonym Hasheur, has hosted the most popular French YouTube channel on blockchain-related subjects for eight years, with more than 624,000 subscribers. In France, countless individuals have been introduced to crypto through his video tutorials.
Simonin told Decrypt that France, and Europe, have a significant role to play in the global crypto market—particularly as U.S. regulators have cracked down on the industry in recent weeks.
The U.S. approach is “killing crypto,” he said, adding that it represents the most significant emerging global business and that stifling it is self-destructive. The U.S. crackdown, he added, could allow Europe and Asia “to capture a lot of volume for a while."
In addition to his YouTube endeavors, Simonin has established about fifteen companies, five of which specialize in cryptocurrency. He has also invested in approximately a hundred enterprises, including Waltio, NGrave, Helium, and XDefi.
The birth of Hasheur
A technology enthusiast, Simonin showed entrepreneurial spirit from an early age. By the age of 15, he was already managing dozens of moderators on Minecraft and paying them with the server's virtual currency.
Simonin discovered Bitcoin at 18 while interning at his brother William's company, Vivoka, which specializes in AI and voice recognition. "What I read in the whitepaper—a decentralized, inviolable system—felt magical to me", Simonin told Decrypt. "You can't cheat with Bitcoin. I created two wallets and bought €15 worth of crypto, which then surged 20-30%."
Back then, the crypto community in France comprised a handful of enthusiasts. "Bitcoin.fr, le Cercle du Coin, there were just two or three of us," said Simonin. Feeling isolated, he became obsessively invested in cryptocurrencies and started an educational crypto channel on YouTube under the name Hasheur.
During the 2017 crypto bull run, his channel's viewership skyrocketed. Simultaneously, he and his older brother William launched Just Mining, selling user-friendly crypto miners created by William, combining PC hardware and simple, automated software for mining cryptocurrencies.
Now known as Meria, the company no longer mines but has become a major player in the French crypto market, offering diverse investment solutions. This enterprise stands as the core of an ecosystem nestled in Lorraine, Metz, housing the crypto-euro broker Deskoin among others. The network expands to Luxembourg, home to the communication agency, Hash Consulting.
A local entrepreneur
In a crypto world where many have chosen to become digital nomads, relocating to countries like Portugal or Dubai, Simonin stands out. He told Decrypt that he decided to stay in France out of gratitude for what his home country has given him.
He acknowledges the challenges, such as dealing with taxes and opening a bank account, which he describes as sounding “crazy.”
But his decision to stay in France has borne fruit; today, the country is considered a model for crypto regulation, providing a clear regulatory framework for businesses in the sector.
Despite it taking six years to establish the regulatory environment in France, Simonin emphasizes its lead over other countries, and how it’s been designed by those eager to be at the forefront of technology and attract innovation.
He also believes that having to adhere to strict rules had positive effects. "We realized that it allowed us to offer decentralized solutions to the average person," Simonin explained. He now claims that the companies he runs have the most regulated and compliant processes in France.
In the coming weeks, Simonin revealed to Decrypt, he will be turning his attention to data and artificial intelligence. Vivoka, the voice recognition company founded by his older brother William in 2015, will launch a new project that combines data collection for AI and crypto. “There are narratives where at a certain point, you have to fired up,” he said. “That’s why my brother, who’s also my biggest partner, and I keep a close eye on demand in this sector.”