Key Takeaways:

• France plans new safety measures after 41 crypto-related kidnappings in 2026.
• Criminals target crypto holders because stolen funds are hard to recover.
• Authorities are boosting security amid a surge in attacks on crypto investors.

France is preparing a dedicated action plan to protect cryptocurrency holders following a sharp rise in kidnappings and violent physical attacks.

Jean-Didier Berger, France’s minister delegate to the interior ministry, confirmed on 16 April 2026 at Paris Blockchain Week — a major annual crypto conference held in Paris — that authorities have already launched a prevention platform that has drawn thousands of registered users. A more comprehensive protective strategy is now being developed alongside Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez and is expected in the coming weeks.

France becomes the world’s crypto kidnapping capital

France has recorded 41 crypto-related kidnappings since January 2026, averaging one incident every 2.5 days.

These incidents are commonly called “wrench attacks,” where victims are physically threatened or assaulted to force them into surrendering their private keys (the unique codes that control access to a crypto wallet). The attacks frequently target prominent individuals and entrepreneurs who hold large amounts of crypto, making them attractive targets for quick payouts.

According to blockchain security firm CertiK, such attacks increased 75% globally in 2025, totaling 72 documented cases. France led all countries with 19 confirmed incidents, while Europe collectively accounted for around 40% of global cases.

Crypto holders are increasingly targeted because digital asset transactions cannot be reversed. Once funds are transferred, recovery is nearly impossible. Because there is no bank that can freeze or reverse these transactions, criminals often turn to physical threats to force victims to transfer funds. Many investors also maintain a visible public presence online, enabling bad actors to monitor their routines and wealth.

Learn More: What is a Private Key?

Recent incidents that brought the crisis into focus

The most widely reported case in the current wave unfolded on 13 April 2026, when four attackers stormed a family home in Burgundy. They demanded $400,000 from the father, a crypto entrepreneur, after tying him up and threatening him.

Upon learning the family’s crypto holdings were secured in a time-locked wallet (a wallet that restricts access to funds until a preset future date), the attackers abducted the man’s wife and 11-year-old son.

France’s elite GIGN unit — a specialized tactical police force — deployed 100 officers and freed both victims from a hotel room in Val-de-Marne on 14 April 2026. No ransom was paid, according to the Paris prosecutor’s office.

Other documented cases include the February 2026 kidnapping of a magistrate and her mother in a plot targeting her crypto entrepreneur partner and a March 2026 home invasion in which criminals impersonating police officers stole $1 million in Bitcoin (BTC) from a couple in their late 50s.

Related: Fake Police Rob French Couple of $1 Million in Bitcoin at Knifepoint

The government’s response

Berger told Paris Blockchain Week attendees that France’s internal security forces would be fully mobilized to shield crypto holders from physical harm, a commitment he also publicly stated in his 16 April X post.

Separately, authorities reportedly organized a police motorcade for VIP guests traveling to a Paris Blockchain Week dinner at the Palace of Versailles on the eve of the conference, and event organizers strengthened security measures across the Blockchain Week venues.

Full details of the government’s broader action plan are yet to be released. Berger and Nuñez are expected to outline additional steps in the coming weeks as France responds to a rapidly evolving security threat tied to digital assets.