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France recorded 77 cases of kidnapping, unlawful detention, and extortion tied to cryptocurrency in the first half of 2026. That figure already exceeds the approximately 45 cases documented across the entirety of 2025.
To put that velocity in perspective: by mid-April 2026, authorities had tallied 41 cases, an average of one incident every 2.5 days.
The anatomy of a wrench attack
The crypto industry has a euphemism for this kind of crime. They call it a “wrench attack,” a reference to the idea that no amount of encryption can protect you from someone threatening you with a physical tool.
These attacks frequently target crypto executives, their family members, and high-net-worth holders of digital assets. Victims from firms like Ledger, Paymium, and Binance France have been among those targeted.
Investigations have traced multiple kidnapping cases back to data breaches at French cryptocurrency platforms. A notable 2025 breach at Waltio, a crypto tax reporting tool, exposed sensitive information belonging to roughly 50,000 users.
France saw approximately 30 such cases in 2024. That jumped to around 45 in 2025. Now 77 in just the first half of 2026.
Who’s behind the attacks
Around 200 suspects have been arrested in connection with these crimes, and at least 88 individuals have been formally charged across 12 separate investigations.
Many of those arrested are minors or young adults, with ages clustering between 16 and 23. That points to organized criminal networks recruiting young locals to carry out the physical operations.
The Interior Ministry has intensified its focus on these networks, and French officials have reportedly begun engaging directly with crypto industry leaders to develop better protective strategies.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
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