Jean-Didier Berger, France’s minister delegate to the interior, has announced that the government is rolling out emergency protocols to defend digital asset holders against a violent surge in targeted kidnappings and physical extortions.
- French authorities are launching a specialized prevention platform and a strategic security plan to combat a sharp rise in physical crypto-related crimes.
- Police records show 41 crypto-linked kidnappings have occurred in France since the start of 2026, marking a frequency of one attack every two and a half days.
RTL, a local news outlet, reports that French authorities have documented 41 crypto-linked abductions since the start of 2026, a figure that averages out to one attack every 2.5 days.
The spike in physical violence follows a year where France became the global leader in “wrench attacks,” a term for crimes where victims are assaulted or threatened to force the handover of digital keys.
According to cybersecurity platform CertiK, France recorded 19 such confirmed cases in 2025, contributing to a trend where Europe now accounts for nearly 40% of these incidents worldwide.
Protective measures and rising violence
Berger, speaking at Paris Blockchain Week, stated that his office has already implemented preventative measures, including a specialized security platform that has already seen thousands of sign-ups.
He is currently working with Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez on a more comprehensive strategy to be unveiled in the coming weeks. The government intervention comes as criminal networks increasingly target the families of digital entrepreneurs.
Earlier this week, a mother and her 11-year-old child were abducted in Burgundy by four suspects who demanded a 400,000 euro ($471,000) ransom from the father, a cryptocurrency entrepreneur.
While the victims were safely freed on Tuesday morning and the suspects arrested, the case highlights the growing danger for those in the industry.
Other recent cases involve criminals posing as police officers to rob a couple of $1 million in Bitcoin, and the February kidnapping of a magistrate and her mother to extort a partner involved in the crypto sector.
“Authorities are taking measures to protect cryptocurrency investors from the growing threat of crypto kidnappings and wrench attacks in the country,” Berger noted, emphasizing that the state is shifting its focus toward the physical safety of the blockchain community.
