Nestled in the heart of Paris’s Le Marais district, blockchain giant Ledger has inaugurated its cutting-edge, nine-floor headquarters, blending Silicon Valley modernity with the grandeur of French history. The unveiling coincides with Ledger’s 10th anniversary, marking a new chapter for the cryptocurrency hardware wallet company, valued at $1.5 billion (€1 billion).
The new HQ features an array of state-of-the-art amenities, including a basketball court, an exercise studio, and a rooftop bar offering panoramic views of the Parisian skyline. The space reflects the company’s ambition to establish a global hub for the crypto community.
“My thinking [for the building] went to what Apple did for designing hardware in Cupertino,” Ledger CEO Pascal Gauthier told Euronews Next. Drawing inspiration from Apple Park and Château de Chambord, Gauthier envisioned a headquarters that symbolizes innovation and French elegance.
“The other inspiration was Château de Chambord in France, built by France’s King Francis I,” he explained. “Chambord was built as a marketing/propaganda tool to show that François I was the king. And so that was also an inspiration for designing the building.”
The headquarters’ sleek black design contrasts with natural light streaming through expansive windows. Inside, original NFT artwork and generative art line the walls, complemented by a café and French bistro. Gauthier described the building as a physical embodiment of Ledger’s mission: “It’s a physical location that shows what Ledger is about: hardware products that you can see and touch… a link between your physical world and digital world.”
Ledger’s journey has not been without challenges. Gauthier noted the turbulence of the crypto market, emphasizing the need for humility and strategic management. Despite market downturns and high-profile scandals like the collapse of FTX, Gauthier remains optimistic. “Crypto is where the party is right now,” he said.
The company’s resilience has paid off, with the industry witnessing a resurgence. The re-election of pro-crypto U.S. President Donald Trump, coupled with increased institutional support from financial giants like BlackRock, has fueled Bitcoin’s rally and renewed confidence in digital assets.
Ledger has sold over 7 million hardware wallets globally, with a track record of zero hacks. Gauthier aims to expand their reach, protecting 10% of the global population in the next decade. “What the industry can do in the next ten years I think is mind-blowing compared to what has happened in the past,” he remarked.
With the addition of Tony Fadell, the creator of the iPod, to its board, Ledger is poised to solidify its position as a leader in the crypto hardware space. “There will be an amazing change, and Ledger will become the Apple of this world,” Gauthier predicted.
