France Records 41 Crypto Kidnappings in 2026, Accounting for 70% of Global Wrench Attacks

According to Bitcoin journalist Joe Nakamoto, France recorded 41 cryptocurrency-related kidnappings so far in 2026, representing roughly one case every two and a half days and accounting for approximately 70% of known global wrench attacks. Wrench attacks refer to physical violence, kidnapping, home invasion or extortion targeting crypto holders to surrender private keys and digital assets. The surge has drawn attention to high-profile victims including Ledger co-founder David Balland (abducted in January 2025) and relatives of crypto executives like Paymium's Pierre Noizat and The Sandbox's Sebastien Borget.

French authorities have arrested at least 88 individuals in connection with crypto-related wrench attacks, according to national prosecutor Vanessa Perrée. In one recent operation, police arrested 24 suspects tied to multiple kidnapping cases. Security experts attribute part of the rise to know-your-customer data collection, citing the 2020 Ledger customer data leak that exposed names and home addresses of over 270,000 customers worldwide.