France Averages One Crypto Kidnapping Every 2.5 Days, Authorities Finally Take Action

marsbitPublicado a 2026-04-17Actualizado a 2026-04-17

Resumen

France has emerged as a global hotspot for "crypto kidnappings" and wrench attacks, with an average of one incident every 2.5 days in 2026, totaling 41 cases so far. In a recent event, the wife and 11-year-old child of a crypto entrepreneur were abducted in Burgundy, with a ransom demand of €400,000. The victims were rescued, and suspects were arrested. Facing growing pressure, French Interior Ministry Undersecretary Jean-Didier Berger announced at Paris Blockchain Week that authorities are developing a more "serious" protection plan for cryptocurrency investors, to be unveiled in the coming. This follows the launch of a prevention platform that has already registered thousands of users. According to data from CertiK, wrench attacks—where victims are threatened or assaulted to force digital asset transfers—increased by 75% globally in 2025, with France accounting for 19 confirmed cases. Europe represents about 40% of such incidents worldwide. Other high-profile cases include a couple robbed of $1 million in Bitcoin by impersonators and the kidnapping of a judge and her mother in a crypto-related extortion attempt.

Author: Cointelegraph

Compiled by: TechFlow Deep Tide

Deep Tide Introduction: Since 2026, France has averaged one kidnapping targeting cryptocurrency holders every 2.5 days, with a total of 41 cases, making it a global hotspot for this type of crime. In the latest case, the wife and 11-year-old child of a crypto entrepreneur were kidnapped, with a ransom demand as high as 400,000 euros. The French Deputy Minister of the Interior finally promised at Paris Blockchain Week to announce a more serious protection plan within weeks—but for holders, this response seems to have come too late.

French Deputy Minister of the Interior Jean-Didier Berger stated that authorities are taking measures to protect cryptocurrency investors from the growing threats of crypto kidnappings and wrench attacks in the country.

Berger said at Paris Blockchain Week that his office has implemented "preventive measures" against crypto wrench attacks, including launching a prevention platform that has attracted thousands of registrations. He added that he is working with Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez to launch a plan he described as "more serious" in the coming weeks.

Just days ago, France reported another cryptocurrency-related kidnapping this week. On Monday, a mother and her 11-year-old child were kidnapped in Burgundy by four suspects who demanded a ransom of 400,000 euros (approximately $471,000) from the child's father—a crypto entrepreneur. According to France 24, citing the Paris prosecutor's office, authorities apprehended the suspects and rescued the victims on Tuesday morning.

France has become one of the most prominent centers for so-called "wrench attacks," where victims are threatened or assaulted and forced to transfer digital assets. The French government is now facing increasing pressure to respond.

Alarming Surge in Wrench Attacks in France

According to a report by local news media RTL on Wednesday, 41 cryptocurrency-related kidnappings have been reported in France since the beginning of this year, meaning that 2026 has seen an average of one such attack every 2.5 days.

According to data from the cybersecurity platform CertiK, global wrench attacks increased by 75% in 2025, reaching 72 verified cases. France experienced the highest number of such incidents in 2025, with 19 confirmed wrench attacks, while Europe accounted for about 40% of global incidents.

In another incident, a French couple in their 50s were robbed of $1 million worth of Bitcoin by criminals posing as police officers. Cointelegraph reported this on March 10.

Earlier in February, French police arrested six individuals who had kidnapped a judge and his mother in a crypto extortion attack targeting the judge's partner—a crypto entrepreneur.

Preguntas relacionadas

QWhat is the frequency of crypto-related kidnappings in France as of 2026, according to the article?

AAccording to the article, France has been experiencing an average of one crypto-related kidnapping every 2.5 days in 2026, with a total of 41 cases reported.

QWhat specific term does the article use to describe attacks where victims are threatened or assaulted to transfer digital assets?

AThe article uses the term 'wrench attacks' to describe these incidents where victims are threatened or physically assaulted to force them to transfer their digital assets.

QWhat action did the French Deputy Interior Minister promise to take in response to the surge in these crimes?

AThe French Deputy Interior Minister, Jean-Didier Berger, promised that a 'more serious' protection plan would be unveiled within the coming weeks in response to the surge in crypto kidnappings and wrench attacks.

QIn the most recent case mentioned, what was the ransom amount demanded for the release of the entrepreneur's family?

AIn the most recent case, the kidnappers demanded a ransom of 400,000 euros (approximately $471,000) for the release of the crypto entrepreneur's wife and 11-year-old child.

QWhich country suffered the most verified wrench attacks globally in 2025, as reported by CertiK?

AAccording to data from the cybersecurity platform CertiK, France suffered the most verified wrench attacks globally in 2025, with 19 confirmed cases.

Lecturas Relacionadas

WeChat Agent Issues a 'Heroic Summons,' Half of the Internet Responds

WeChat AI Agent is on the horizon. The WeChat Open Platform has issued a guide for developers, offering them ways to integrate into the WeChat AI ecosystem. This will enable mini-programs to be discovered and invoked by the AI. Meituan has already announced its integration, allowing users to access services like food delivery through WeChat AI. Other platforms like Ctrip and Tongcheng have followed suit. Furthermore, WeChat is collaborating with major smartphone manufacturers to enable their native AI assistants to perform actions within WeChat, such as initiating calls or sending messages, through a controlled protocol called Agent-to-Agent (A2A). Reports indicate the WeChat AI Agent will be accessible by swiping right on the main interface. It aims to understand user intent within the rich context of chats, groups, and past interactions, then automatically call upon relevant mini-programs to complete tasks like ordering coffee or booking restaurants. This positions it as a potential "super app" with direct access to WeChat's vast ecosystem of services, social connections, and payment systems. Technically, this is a complex endeavor. It requires advanced natural language understanding, a "world model" to predict interactions within mini-programs (UI-Oceanus), multi-model orchestration for cost efficiency, and careful coordination with millions of third-party service providers. Tencent's development follows a "Co-Design" approach, where product teams and the Hunyuan model team collaborate closely, allowing capabilities honed in other AI products (like Yuanbao for chat, ima for search, WorkBuddy for office tasks) to be transferred to the WeChat Agent. Tencent is strategically opting for the A2A protocol over GUI-based automation (which it has blocked in the past), maintaining control over its ecosystem. To manage the immense scale and cost of serving 1.4 billion monthly active users, Tencent is deepening its ties with DeepSeek, known for its cost-effective training, to secure a low-cost inference backbone. The ultimate goal is to solve practical, everyday problems for users within the WeChat ecosystem, moving beyond technical benchmarks to deliver real utility, which Tencent sees as the key to winning in the long-term AI game.

marsbitHace 5 min(s)

WeChat Agent Issues a 'Heroic Summons,' Half of the Internet Responds

marsbitHace 5 min(s)

Strategy Erases Last Week’s Bitcoin Sale With 1,550 BTC Purchase

Strategy, a major Bitcoin treasury firm, has made a substantial purchase of 1,550 BTC for approximately $101 million. This acquisition completely offsets the company's sale of 32 BTC just one week prior, which had negatively impacted market sentiment. Following this buy, Strategy's total Bitcoin holdings have reached a new record of 845,256 BTC. The company's leadership, including Chairman Michael Saylor and CEO Phong Le, emphasized their ongoing strategy to accumulate Bitcoin over time. Concurrently, Strategy added $100 million to its USD reserve, bringing its total to $1 billion, to ensure dividend payments. The purchase was reportedly funded through sales of the company's stock. Meanwhile, U.S. Bitcoin spot ETFs experienced a fourth consecutive week of net outflows, totaling $1.72 billion last week. Bitcoin's price is currently around $63,400, reflecting a nearly 12% decline over the past seven days.

bitcoinistHace 18 min(s)

Strategy Erases Last Week’s Bitcoin Sale With 1,550 BTC Purchase

bitcoinistHace 18 min(s)

Humanity Loses $31 Million in Attack, Token Price Plummets 90% Due to a Single Private Key

On June 9th, the digital identity project Humanity Protocol suffered a major security breach resulting in over $31 million in losses. According to on-chain analyst Specter, hundreds of wallets holding the project's H token were drained. The attack was confirmed by founder Terence Kwok to be caused by the compromise of a foundation member's private key. As a precaution, users are advised to avoid interacting with Humanity's cross-chain bridge or liquidity pools. The incident caused the H token price to crash over 90%, from around $0.70 to a low of $0.052, wiping its market cap from $2 billion to approximately $35.7 million. The attacker allegedly minted 100 million new H tokens and is selling them for BNB. This breach adds to existing controversies surrounding Humanity Protocol. Founded in 2024, it aimed to verify human users via palm-print biometrics and zero-knowledge proofs. However, a leaked conversation in 2025 revealed that only about 1 million of its 9 million claimed Human IDs had completed biometric verification, suggesting 88% might be bots. Furthermore, the project has faced allegations of being a repackaged product from a Chinese access control vendor, raising privacy and authenticity concerns. Founder Terence Kwok's previous venture, Tink Labs, a hotel smartphone startup that raised $170 million, failed and entered bankruptcy in 2020 after burning through its funding. The current attack highlights the persistent critical issue of private key management in crypto. Unlike smart contract exploits, a private key compromise bypasses all on-chain security mechanisms. With no user compensation plan announced yet, this $31 million breach may be a final blow to the project's credibility, already weakened by previous controversies and a heavily depreciated token.

marsbitHace 40 min(s)

Humanity Loses $31 Million in Attack, Token Price Plummets 90% Due to a Single Private Key

marsbitHace 40 min(s)

MicroStrategy Will Not Die in This Downturn: Reflexivity, STRC Anchoring Back to Par, and the Self-Rescue Logic of "Sell Stock, Not Bitcoin"

This article analyzes the recent sharp decline in Bitcoin and MicroStrategy (MSTR), framing it as a targeted "reflexivity" attack. The trigger was MSTR using its cash reserves to buy back convertible notes, raising market concerns about a liquidity crisis. The playbook follows George Soros's principle: market expectations can shape reality. Fears that MSTR might be forced to sell BTC caused panic selling, lowering BTC's price and worsening MSTR's financial ratios, thus reinforcing the negative narrative. The author argues that MSTR's Structured Convertible (STRC), while falling in price, is a floating-rate security that will eventually return to par value (100). The price drop reflects the market demanding a higher yield due to perceived risk, but as a floating-rate instrument, its coupon can adjust, naturally pulling the price back to par over time. This is crucial for MSTR's continued ability to raise funds. The core thesis is that MSTR's best move to counter the attack is to **issue new equity (sell shares)**, not sell its Bitcoin holdings. While selling BTC would solve the immediate cash crunch, it would destroy the company's core investment thesis and premium. It would dilute the BTC per share, likely erase the market premium over its net asset value (mNAV > 1), and worsen its debt-to-asset ratio. Issuing shares while mNAV is high (e.g., 1.25x) allows MSTR to raise cash for reserves without harming shareholder value or the "perpetual accumulation" narrative. It improves the debt ratio and reassures STRC holders, breaking the negative reflexivity cycle. In conclusion, while MSTR could survive this episode even by selling BTC, doing so would fundamentally alter its investment proposition and weaken it for future cycles. The optimal, value-preserving strategy is to sell equity to rebuild reserves and maintain the long-term growth flywheel.

marsbitHace 41 min(s)

MicroStrategy Will Not Die in This Downturn: Reflexivity, STRC Anchoring Back to Par, and the Self-Rescue Logic of "Sell Stock, Not Bitcoin"

marsbitHace 41 min(s)

Humanity Loses $31 Million, a Private Key Causes Token Price to Plunge 90%

On June 9th, the digital identity project Humanity Protocol suffered a major security breach resulting in over $31 million stolen from hundreds of wallets holding its H token. The attack was caused by the compromise of a private key belonging to a foundation member, leading the team to advise users against interacting with its bridge or liquidity pools. Following the incident, the price of the H token plummeted by over 90%, from around $0.70 to a low of $0.052, wiping out a significant portion of its market capitalization. The attacker allegedly minted 100 million new H tokens and began selling them for BNB. Humanity Protocol, founded in 2024, aimed to verify human users through palm-print biometrics and zero-knowledge proofs on Polygon CDK. Despite raising $50 million across two funding rounds and achieving a unicorn valuation, the project faced prior controversies. Shortly after its June 2025 token launch, reports emerged that only about 1 million of its 9 million registered IDs had completed biometric verification, suggesting 88% might be bots. Furthermore, allegations surfaced that the project might be a rebranded "shell" of a Chinese access control company, raising concerns about data privacy and authenticity. The project's founder, Terence Kwok, has a controversial business history. His previous venture, Tink Labs, burned through $170 million in funding before collapsing in 2020. The breach highlights the persistent critical risk of private key management in crypto. With no user compensation plan detailed in the initial response, the incident deals a severe blow to trust in a project already struggling with credibility issues.

Foresight NewsHace 1 hora(s)

Humanity Loses $31 Million, a Private Key Causes Token Price to Plunge 90%

Foresight NewsHace 1 hora(s)

Trading

Spot

Futuros

Artículos destacados

Cómo comprar ONE

¡Bienvenido a HTX.com! Hemos hecho que comprar Harmony (ONE) sea simple y conveniente. Sigue nuestra guía paso a paso para iniciar tu viaje de criptos.Paso 1: crea tu cuenta HTXUtiliza tu correo electrónico o número de teléfono para registrarte y obtener una cuenta gratuita en HTX. Experimenta un proceso de registro sin complicaciones y desbloquea todas las funciones.Obtener mi cuentaPaso 2: ve a Comprar cripto y elige tu método de pagoTarjeta de crédito/débito: usa tu Visa o Mastercard para comprar Harmony (ONE) al instante.Saldo: utiliza fondos del saldo de tu cuenta HTX para tradear sin problemas.Terceros: hemos agregado métodos de pago populares como Google Pay y Apple Pay para mejorar la comodidad.P2P: tradear directamente con otros usuarios en HTX.Over-the-Counter (OTC): ofrecemos servicios personalizados y tipos de cambio competitivos para los traders.Paso 3: guarda tu Harmony (ONE)Después de comprar tu Harmony (ONE), guárdalo en tu cuenta HTX. Alternativamente, puedes enviarlo a otro lugar mediante transferencia blockchain o utilizarlo para tradear otras criptomonedas.Paso 4: tradear Harmony (ONE)Tradear fácilmente con Harmony (ONE) en HTX's mercado spot. Simplemente accede a tu cuenta, selecciona tu par de trading, ejecuta tus trades y monitorea en tiempo real. Ofrecemos una experiencia fácil de usar tanto para principiantes como para traders experimentados.

282 Vistas totalesPublicado en 2024.12.12Actualizado en 2026.06.02

Discusiones

Bienvenido a la comunidad de HTX. Aquí puedes mantenerte informado sobre los últimos desarrollos de la plataforma y acceder a análisis profesionales del mercado. A continuación se presentan las opiniones de los usuarios sobre el precio de ONE (ONE).