Crypto Exec Snatched in Paris Daylight Heist—Security or Showmanship?

Another day, another crypto high-roller making headlines for all the wrong reasons. This time? A brazen midday kidnapping in the heart of Paris—because nothing says ’decentralized future’ like getting dragged into a black van by masked assailants.

While details are scarce, sources confirm the victim was a prominent figure in France’s digital asset scene. Local authorities are scrambling, while crypto Twitter oscillates between genuine concern and meme-fueled schadenfreude. The takeaway? Even in 2025, cold storage wallets still can’t protect you from old-fashioned brute force.

And let’s be real—if this were traditional finance, the kidnappers would’ve just filed predatory paperwork and called it a hostile takeover. Progress!

In brief

• A crypto company manager was kidnapped in broad daylight in Paris, France, by four masked individuals.
• The victim and his son, connected to a crypto company based in Malta, had already received threats.
• This is the second kidnapping in France in 2025 after that of Ledger co-founder David Balland.
• These incidents highlight a new threat: the physical endangerment of actors in the crypto ecosystem.

France: a kidnapping that shakes the crypto ecosystem

In France this Thursday morning, around 10:30 a.m., a company manager specializing in crypto was kidnapped on Avenue du Maine, right in the heart of Paris’s 14th arrondissement. Four masked individuals reportedly forced him into a UPS-branded van before fleeing. The operation, carried out in broad daylight, was chillingly swift.

The victim’s wife was interviewed by the police. She revealed that her husband and their son — co-founders of a crypto marketing company based in Malta — had already been threatened. The case has been handed over to the Brigade de Répression du Banditisme (BRB). Security is now paramount in the blockchain.

A worrying series of kidnappings

This kidnapping is the second targeting crypto business leaders in France in 2025, after the highly publicized kidnapping of David Balland, co-founder of Ledger, last January. He was released after a special forces intervention, causing shock within the community.

But the alert goes beyond our borders. At the end of 2024, the founder of WonderFi was also kidnapped in Canada, revealing a new threat: one that targets individuals directly, not just digital assets.

Is owning crypto becoming dangerous?

The reality is chilling: despite cold wallets, multisignatures, and ultra-secure blockchain protections, individuals themselves are becoming the target. When hackers can no longer steal your crypto — like the recent 400,000 Ethereum hack at Bybit — they come for you physically.

France now has two crypto-related kidnappings since January 2025, a disturbing record. It is time for the industry to ask itself: how to protect the people behind the private keys? The financial revolution cannot be built on constant fear.

At the moment when the Nasdaq calls on the SEC for clear crypto regulation, the security of founders, investors, and developers also becomes an absolute priority. This new tragedy highlights a reality long ignored: human vulnerability in a digital ecosystem.

Maximize your Cointribune experience with our "Read to Earn" program! For every article you read, earn points and access exclusive rewards. Sign up now and start earning benefits.