France Records 77 Crypto-Related Violent Crimes

France is stepping up efforts to combat the growing wave of crypto-related kidnappings and extortion. According to local broadcaster BFMTV, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez revealed that authorities have recorded 77 cases of kidnappings, extortion, or attempted extortion linked to digital assets during the first half of 2026. By comparison, France reported 45 such incidents throughout all of 2025.

Speaking at a meeting with the Association for the Development of Digital Assets (ADAN), Nuñez announced expanded government support and a new national security plan aimed at protecting crypto investors and businesses. The initiative will focus on improving intelligence sharing between law enforcement agencies, strengthening cooperation with ADAN, and enhancing operational coordination. The minister also noted that many of the criminal groups involved operate from outside France.

Earlier this year, French authorities launched a dedicated prevention platform along with a rapid alert and protection system for cryptocurrency holders and companies. So far, 724 people have enrolled in the program. According to Nuñez, the measures have already led to 200 arrests. In one recent case, police apprehended a suspect just eight hours after an attack thanks to the country's dedicated emergency hotline.

France has become one of the countries most affected by so-called "wrench attacks," in which criminals use physical violence or threats to force victims to hand over their cryptocurrency holdings. ADAN estimates that around 11% of the French population—approximately 7.3 million people—owns digital assets.

Blockchain security firm CertiK reported in May that the number of violent crypto-related attacks worldwide increased by 41% during the first four months of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier. Europe recorded the highest number of incidents, with France identified as the main hotspot. According to CertiK, the trend has been fueled by the country's large concentration of crypto companies, the public disclosure of wealth, and the long-term impact of previous data breaches.

One of the most high-profile cases involved the kidnapping of Ledger co-founder David Balland and his partner in January 2025. Police successfully rescued both hostages. Ledger had previously suffered a major data breach in 2020 that exposed the personal information of more than 270,000 customers. CertiK believes the fallout from that incident continues to contribute to fraud attempts and targeted attacks against cryptocurrency holders.