French Police Storm Kidnappers’ Lair—Rescue Crypto Founder’s Father After Grisly Finger Amputation

Dramatic raid unfolds as authorities track crypto ransom demand—proving once again that digital wealth attracts analog violence.

Subheader: When Crypto Meets Crime—The Dark Side of Digital Fortune

The victim, father of a prominent blockchain entrepreneur, endured brutal mutilation before tactical teams breached the hideout. No decentralized ledger could’ve prevented this old-school shakedown—just good policing and maybe a taser or two.

Closing jab: Meanwhile, traditional bankers sip champagne while their clients lose fortunes to ’safe’ 0.01% savings accounts.

Police Find Similarities, But Is It the Same Crypto Ransom Group?

The victim’s wife told investigators that her husband and son owned a crypto marketing firm in Malta. They’ve both allegedly received threats in the past.

This highlights the growing threat wealthy crypto owners are facing, as related kidnappings have been on the rise.

However, it is currently unclear whether the recent series of crypto kidnappings is linked. Yet, “obviously there’s at least a LINK in the modus operandi. Now, whether it’s the same team or not is for the investigators to say,” internal security expert Guillaume Farde said on French television Sunday, as reported by CNN.

It is undeniable that the latest kidnapping is quite similar to other cases in France and elsewhere. In particular, a group of people abducted David Balland, co-founder of crypto hardware wallet manufacturer, along with his wife, from their home in central France on the morning of 21 January, 2025.

The attackers cut off Balland’s finger and sent a video to the co-founder Eric Larchevêque, demanding ransom money.

Meanwhile, in November 2024, kidnappers took Dean Skurka, CEO of Toronto-based, in downtown Toronto, Canada, during rush hour and was freed after paying a $1 million ransom.

In December 2024, a similar situation happened to the wife of crypto investor and influencer Stéphane Winkel. She disappeared from their home in Belgium. Luckily, she escaped after the kidnapper crashed his car during a police chase.

In January this year, seven UK gang members received a lengthy prison sentence for kidnapping, torturing, and extorting a cryptocurrency investor.

In February, US authorities charged six men in connection with the October 2024 kidnapping of four people from Chicago, forcing them to transfer approximately $15 million in crypto.

These are just some of the many reported crypto kidnappings over the past few months alone. Be safe.