French officials announced tougher anti-crime measures after 77 crypto-linked kidnapping and extortion cases.
France has recorded 77 cryptocurrency-related cases involving kidnappings, extortion, or attempted kidnappings since the beginning of the year.
Speaking to the Association of Digital Asset Holders (ADAN) on June 30, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the number had increased significantly from the 45 cases reported in 2025.
France Unveils Tougher Security Plan
While acknowledging the concerns within the sector, Nuñez described the incidents as serious but said emergency security measures introduced a year ago had delivered results. He revealed that around 200 people had been arrested either after attacks had taken place or before they could be carried out during the same period.
As a recent example, the minister said suspects linked to an incident in the Somme region on the previous Friday were apprehended within eight hours. He added that the victim had activated the dedicated emergency hotline created for members of the cryptocurrency sector.
According to Nuñez, 724 people in the industry are now registered on the government’s immediate identification platforms, representing an 11% increase in participation. While the full details of the government’s next steps have not yet been disclosed, the minister said all departments within the Interior Ministry had developed a new security strategy that is “more ambitious” than previous efforts.
The plan is built around three priorities. The first focuses on expanding intelligence sharing. Nuñez stressed that those directing these crimes are sometimes based outside France, which makes stronger intelligence gathering on criminal networks particularly important. The second priority aims to deepen cooperation with ADAN by creating a network of experts that connects cryptocurrency industry participants with relevant government officials.
The third priority seeks to improve operational coordination between law enforcement agencies to disrupt criminal groups more effectively while also strengthening cooperation with countries where those believed to be organizing the attacks are located.
The minister said cooperation with foreign authorities remains essential. As an example, he cited the June 2025 arrest in Morocco of a Franco-Moroccan man suspected of ordering a series of kidnappings targeting the crypto industry. One of the victims was Ledger co-founder David Balland. According to Nuñez, that arrest led to the sudden end of the attacks.
Wrench Attacks Persist
Similar attacks have continued to emerge elsewhere. In March, a crypto holder pseudonymously known as ‘Sillytuna’ said armed attackers forced him to hand over roughly $24 million in digital assets during a violent robbery. According to the victim, the assailants used weapons and threatened kidnapping and sexual assault unless he transferred control of his crypto holdings.
Blockchain investigators later tracked the stolen funds as they were moved across multiple networks and converted into privacy coins to make tracing more difficult.
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