Crypto Crime Shock: Belgian Court Slams Trio with 12 Years for Kidnapping Investor’s Wife—Masterminds Still Free
Crypto’s dark underbelly strikes again—this time in Belgium. A court just handed down 12-year sentences to three kidnappers who targeted a crypto investor’s family. The twist? The brains behind the operation are still out there.
The Heist Gone Wrong
Forget Hollywood—this was a real-life thriller. The perpetrators snatched the investor’s wife, demanding a ransom in digital assets. But unlike the movies, their plan unraveled fast. Belgian authorities tracked them down, though the masterminds slipped the net.
Crypto’s Wild West Reputation
Another day, another reminder that crypto’s anonymity cuts both ways. While decentralized finance promises freedom, it also attracts opportunists with less-than-noble intentions. And let’s be honest—if Wall Street ran kidnappings, they’d at least hedge their bets.
The case underscores the risks lurking at the intersection of wealth and digital anonymity. Until regulators or tech close the gaps, stories like this won’t be the last.
Three Jailed in Winkel Kidnapping, But Crypto Plot’s Masterminds Still Unknown
Local media outlet La Dernière Heure reported that the kidnappers were convicted of hostage-taking and attempting to extort cryptocurrency as ransom.
During the trial, the defendants claimed they had been acting under threat from unnamed “sponsors” who WOULD have killed them if they refused. The court dismissed this version of events, describing the crime as a deliberate and professional hostage operation.
Le verdict est tombé : 12 ans de prison ferme pour les ravisseurs de mon épouse.
La justice belge vient de condamner à 12 ans de réclusion criminelle les trois premiers individus impliqués dans son enlèvement fin décembre 2024. Ils devront aussi verser 1 million d’euros de… pic.twitter.com/1431rAqvac
Authorities believe the kidnapping was financially motivated, with investigators linking it to other crypto-related abduction attempts in Belgium and neighboring France.
While the court has now sentenced those who physically carried out the act, the broader investigation remains active, and officials have yet to identify the masterminds behind the operation.
In addition to prison time, the court also ordered the convicted men to pay over €1 million (around $1.2 million) in damages to the victim. Winkel and his wife, who were deeply shaken by the event, have since relocated for safety reasons.
Winkel, a well-known figure in the Belgian crypto space, runs educational platforms including Crypto Académie and Crypto Sun. He also operates a YouTube channel with nearly 40,000 subscribers, where he previously offered wallet demonstrations, market commentary, and contests.
Following the attack, Winkel stepped back from public appearances. In a January post on X, he wrote, “I consider myself a defender of freedom, but I now realize that safety must become an absolute priority for me and those around me.”
Récapitulatif de l'enlèvement :
On est le vendredi 20 décembre, 10 heures du matin : une camionnette avec quatre individus à bord a fait irruption dans ma rue et a enlevé de force ma femme.
J’ai entendu des cris depuis mon bureau et je me suis précipité dehors. J’ai vu la…
He pledged to return to crypto education, but with a different approach, one that avoids personal exposure and high-risk demonstrations. “No more contests or wallet demonstrations,” he said, instead promising to focus on market analysis and user protection.
Winkel reappeared on YouTube in late June, releasing his first video since the incident. This time, the video featured only voiceover narration, no on-camera presence.
While the sentencing marks progress in the case, authorities continue their search for those believed to have orchestrated the plot.
The Belgian police confirmed that investigations are ongoing into what they describe as an expanding network behind a series of targeted kidnappings in the European crypto sector.
Global Wave of Crypto-Related Kidnappings Intensifies
The case of the Belgian family is not an isolated incident. Around the world, crypto investors with public profiles are becoming prime targets in a disturbing trend of high-stakes abductions.
A recent report noted that Australian crypto billionaire Tim Heath, last July, narrowly escaped a kidnapping attempt in Tallinn, Estonia. Heath, founder of Yolo Group, was ambushed by two men posing as painters.
Australian crypto billionaire Tim Heath escaped a violent kidnapping attempt in Tallinn, Estonia, by biting off part of an attacker’s finger.#Crypto #Crimehttps://t.co/Bc3xo2O4So
One of them, a former boxer from Azerbaijan, tried to muffle Heath’s screams, only to lose part of his finger when Heath bit down in self-defense.
Court records revealed the attackers had tracked Heath’s movements using a GPS device and planned to transport him to a rented sauna house to force a crypto transfer.
France has seen a similar spike. In June, a TikTok crypto influencer was abducted and beaten in Essonne after attackers demanded €50,000 in crypto. When his attackers found his wallet nearly empty, they released him.
Days later, another man was held hostage in Paris while his kidnappers demanded his Ledger wallet and cash. His partner was coerced into handing over €5,000 before he was freed.
A 23-year-old has been kidnapped in Maisons-Alfort, Paris, with attackers demanding access to his Ledger wallet and cash.#Ledger #Parishttps://t.co/caNxkPWx8n
Notably, according to Bitcoin security advocate Jameson Lopp, at least 32 “wrench attacks” have occurred in 2025 so far, nearly one-third in France, surpassing prior years in scale and coordination.
