French Authorities Bust 25 in Crypto Kidnapping Ring—Turns Out Digital Gold Attracts More Than Just Speculators

French police just delivered a brutal bear market to criminal networks exploiting crypto investors—25 arrests made in a sweeping crackdown.

No more ’HODL’ jokes for these guys—turns out kidnapping for Bitcoin ransoms isn’t as anonymous as they hoped. The gangs allegedly targeted high-net-worth individuals in France’s crypto scene, proving once again that where there’s money—especially the digital kind—there are predators.

While regulators keep debating crypto’s legitimacy, criminals clearly see it as very real currency. Maybe next they’ll start demanding ransoms in NFT monkeys.

French authorities have charged 25 suspects, including six minors, in connection with a series of kidnapping attempts targeting prominent figures in the country’s cryptocurrency sector, according to reporting by Le Monde and AFP. The arrests highlight a disturbing trend of criminals specifically targeting crypto wealth through violent family abductions.

The Paris public prosecutor’s office announced Saturday that 18 suspects have been placed in pre-trial detention, with the remaining seven either requesting deferred hearings or placed under judicial supervision. The suspects range in age from 16 to 23, revealing what investigators describe as recruitment of very young criminals for sophisticated criminal operations.

High-Profile Attacks Shock Crypto Community

The investigation centers on a brazen May 13 kidnapping attempt in Paris’s 11th arrondissement, where masked attackers targeted the daughter and grandson of Pierre Noizat, CEO of cryptocurrency firm Paymium. Viral social media footage showed four masked men attacking Noizat’s pregnant daughter, her husband, and their child in broad daylight, with all three victims suffering minor injuries requiring hospitalization.

⚠️ NEW: The daughter and grandson of #Paymium CEO Pierre Noizat narrowly escaped a kidnapping thanks to their own resistance and help from passersby. pic.twitter.com/4kXZDoNFn1

The coordinated nature of these attacks became apparent as investigators uncovered multiple failed attempts, including an initial unsuccessful operation targeting the same family on May 12, just one day before the filmed assault, the report said. Authorities also disrupted a separate kidnapping plot NEAR the western city of Nantes on Monday, arresting more than 20 additional suspects.

According to the prosecutor’s office, the suspects "were mostly born in the Paris region, one in Châtellerault, one in Senegal, one in Angola and one in Russia, between January 2002 and May 2009," indicating an international recruitment network targeting vulnerable young people.

Defense attorney Ambroise Vienet-Legué, representing an 18-year-old suspect in the Nantes case currently in custody, characterized the defendants as having "very young profiles, lured by money and then caught up in a situation that is beyond them."

Pattern of Crypto-Focused Criminal Activity

The recent arrests represent the culmination of what has become a concerning pattern of cryptocurrency-related kidnappings in France throughout 2025. The year began with the high-profile abduction of David Balland, co-founder of hardware wallet manufacturer Ledger, and his partner in late January, signaling that crypto executives had become specific criminal targets.

Investigators have identified connections between the May 13 Paymium attack and a separate May 1 kidnapping involving the father of an individual who made substantial cryptocurrency wealth. Sources close to the investigation told Le Monde/AFP that the cases demonstrate organized criminal networks specifically researching and targeting crypto industry figures and their families.

Government Response and Industry Protection

The frequency and boldness of these attacks prompted Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau to convene meetings with cryptocurrency industry professionals in mid-May to develop joint protective measures. The ministry announced "enhanced collaboration" between law enforcement and crypto companies, though specific details of the security arrangements remain confidential.

Among the protective measures being implemented are "security checks of their homes by security officers from the national police and gendarmerie," indicating government recognition that cryptocurrency executives and their families face genuine physical threats requiring state protection.

This governmental response acknowledges that France’s growing cryptocurrency sector has created new categories of high-value criminal targets requiring specialized security considerations beyond traditional white-collar crime prevention.