France’s Crypto Crime Wave: Violent ’Wrench Attacks’ Targeting Digital Asset Holders Surge

Forget sophisticated hacks—the latest threat to crypto wealth is brutally analog.

The Old-World Wrench

French authorities report a sharp uptick in a chillingly physical crime: 'wrench attacks.' Thieves, eschewing code for coercion, are targeting individuals known to hold significant cryptocurrency. The method is simple—identify, confront, and force asset transfers under threat of violence. It's a stark reminder that digital sovereignty meets a very real-world test when a weapon is pointed at you. Security experts call it 'off-chain exploitation,' a euphemism that doesn't quite capture the terror.

Security's Hard Limit

The trend exposes a fundamental vulnerability no hardware wallet can fix: the human element. Biometric locks and multi-sig protocols are useless when the attack vector is a blunt object. It forces a grim calculus for high-net-worth holders—how much opsec is too much? When does prudent privacy tip into paranoid isolation? The French police are advising increased discretion, but in an era of chain analysis, true financial privacy is a luxury few can afford. Sometimes, the most secure cold storage is letting everyone think you're broke.

A Provocative Balance

This violent shift from digital to physical theft underscores crypto's maturation—and its growing pains. As assets gain mainstream value, they attract mainstream crime. It's a dark milestone on the road to adoption, proving that once a portfolio hits a certain number, it draws attention from audiences far beyond Reddit and trading floors. The finance sector's old guard might cynically note this as the ultimate 'market correction'—where paper gains get violently reconciled with physical reality.

Amateur kidnappers arrested in France following train chase

The trio did not stop there. A Vaucresson resident who had just been hit on the head with a gun butts by multiple masked guys contacted police in the Hauts-de-Seine department at 9:15 a.m. The Vaucresson resident reported hearing them say, “The address isn’t right,” and “Stéphane lives at number 41.” Later, checks WOULD verify that a cryptocurrency entrepreneur actually lived at number 41. Then the three men ran away.

The exact address was used to track down the two pilfered cell phones. CCTV footage also showed that the identical vehicle seen in the Val-de-Marne department that morning was being used by the criminals. 

French outlet RTL reported that Police units from Hauts-de-Seine, Val-de-Marne, Yvelines, and the transport police were called in, along with the Parisian BRB (Brigade de Répression du Banditisme, or Organized Crime Unit). 

According to the report, the track revealed the trio boarded a train to Lyon after being readily followed on public transit. Later, the suspects were captured at Lyon Perrache train station after the Lyon BRI received an urgent alert, and they were placed under arrest.

France has faced a steady increase in so-called “wrench attacks,” where attackers employ threats or physical force to get access to cryptocurrency holdings. On September 5 of last year, Cryptopolitan reported that French authorities detained seven suspects in relation to the abduction of a Swiss man, aged 20. 

The report revealed that the victim was rescued by 150 military police officers who reportedly carried out a special operation in Valence. The military police officers found him in a residence close to the city’s high-speed train station.

In another Cryptopolitan report dated June 20, 2025, David Baland, a co-founder of Ledger, was abducted, had a finger amputated, and was held hostage before being freed. 

The same month,  a young man was kidnapped while his girlfriend was out shopping. She later received a video call from his phone. Instead of him, a man appeared on the screen and told her to wait outside the house with a bag containing 5,000 euros ($5,750) in cash and a Ledger wallet that had an undetermined amount of cryptocurrencies for his release.

France leads global surge in wrench attacks 

CertiK reported earlier this month that the 2025 Wrench assault resulted in confirmed losses of $40.9 million. According to CertiK, many victims choose not to disclose attacks because the ransom amount is not visible on the public blockchain, or because the attacker promised a private settlement.

France had the most attacks, with 19 reported in 2025. Europe was the hardest-hit region last year, with over 40% of all reported ranch assaults occurring there.

Although CertiK did not name the precise locations of all the attacks, it did mention that they occurred across several continents. Individual investors and participants in cryptocurrency marketplaces were among the targets. This subject has attracted international attention due to several noteworthy incidents.

Certik and other members of the cryptocurrency community advised crypto holders to keep their holdings private to avoid flaunting their wealth online and to restrict information that connects their real identities to their blockchain addresses.

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