France logs 77 crypto-linked kidnappings in H1 2026
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- France recorded 77 cases of kidnapping, unlawful detention, and extortion linked to cryptocurrency in the first half of 2026, already surpassing the approximately 45 cases documented across the whole of 2025.
- By mid-April 2026, authorities had logged 41 cases, representing an average of one incident every 2.5 days.
- The crimes are referred to within the crypto industry as "wrench attacks," a term describing physical coercion used to bypass digital security measures such as encryption.
These attacks have primarily targeted cryptocurrency executives, family members of industry figures, and high-net-worth holders of digital assets.
Victims connected to firms including Ledger, Paymium, and Binance France have been among those reportedly targeted.
Investigators have linked multiple kidnapping cases to data breaches at French cryptocurrency platforms, including a 2025 breach at Waltio, a crypto tax reporting tool, which exposed sensitive data belonging to approximately 50,000 users.
France recorded approximately 30 such cases in 2024, rising to around 45 in 2025, with the 77 cases logged in just the first six months of 2026 marking a sharp acceleration in the trend.
Around 200 suspects have been arrested in connection with these crimes, with at least 88 individuals formally charged across 12 separate investigations.
Many of those arrested are minors or young adults, with ages typically ranging between 16 and 23, suggesting organised criminal networks are recruiting younger individuals to carry out physical operations.
France's Interior Ministry has intensified its focus on these criminal networks and has reportedly begun engaging directly with crypto industry leaders to develop improved protective measures.