The French Ministry of Finance has approved MARA's acquisition of a 64% stake in EDF's Exaion, including a two-year non-compete clause.

According to a report by Blockspace citing The Big Whale, the French Ministry of Finance has approved MARA's acquisition of a 64% controlling stake in Exaion, the data center division of EDF (Électricité de France). According to the authorization letter, the Ministry of Finance not only approved the acquisition but also did not object to the non-compete clause in the contract. This clause stipulates that for two years after the transaction, EDF is prohibited from engaging in any commercial high-performance computing (HPC), artificial intelligence (AI), and Bitcoin mining operations, and may not invest in companies providing such services, but may still provide electricity for such businesses or develop related technologies for internal use.