France has reportedly recorded 77 cases of kidnapping, unlawful detention, extortion, or attempted crimes linked to the cryptocurrency industry during the first half of 2026. The figure represents an increase of approximately 71% compared to the 45 cases reported throughout 2025, highlighting a growing physical security threat to participants in the digital asset sector.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated that concerns within the crypto industry regarding this crime wave are justified. “This is a serious issue, and your concerns are legitimate,” Nuñez said during remarks to the Association for the Development of Digital Assets (ADAN) on June 30, 2026.

French Authorities Arrest Around 200 Individuals

According to the report, French authorities have arrested approximately 200 people as part of a series of enforcement and prevention operations. These arrests were made both after criminal incidents occurred and before planned attacks could be carried out.

Nuñez noted that emergency measures implemented over the past year are beginning to show results. One example occurred in the Somme region, where law enforcement reportedly apprehended suspects within roughly eight hours of an incident, aided in part by an emergency identification system.

France has also launched a rapid identification platform for participants in the crypto industry. Around 724 individuals and organizations from the digital asset sector have registered with the system so far, representing an increase of approximately 11%. The platform is designed to accelerate emergency responses when threats are directed at individuals connected to the crypto industry.

Physical Attacks Emerging as a New Threat to Crypto

The cases in France reflect the rise of so-called “wrench attacks,” in which criminals use physical violence or direct threats to force crypto holders to surrender their digital assets.

According to a report by Cointelegraph citing CertiK, such attacks globally increased by 41% during the first four months of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier. Most reported cases occurred in Europe, with France identified as one of the primary hotspots for the growing threat.

Several factors may be contributing to the heightened risk, including the presence of major crypto companies in France, the public visibility of industry figures, and previous data breaches. French crypto wallet company Ledger suffered a data breach in 2020 that affected more than 270,000 customer records, and the incident is still considered relevant to ongoing security threats targeting crypto users.

Kidnappings have not been limited to executives and company founders. Family members and relatives of crypto industry participants have also become targets. One notable case occurred in January 2025, when David Balland, a co-founder of Ledger, and his partner were kidnapped before being rescued by police.

France Unveils Three-Pillar Security Strategy

In response to the surge in incidents, Nuñez outlined a more ambitious security plan centered on three priorities: enhanced intelligence sharing, closer cooperation with ADAN, and stronger operational coordination among security agencies.

Improved intelligence sharing is considered crucial because some criminal networks are believed to operate outside France. Authorities also plan to establish an expert network involving both digital asset industry participants and government officials to improve threat detection capabilities.

Cross-border cooperation will be strengthened as well, particularly with jurisdictions believed to host the organizers or sponsors of these attacks. The initiative reflects a growing recognition by French authorities that crypto-related crime is not merely a domestic issue but part of broader organized criminal networks that exploit data, social media, and digital assets.

Impact on the Crypto Ecosystem

The increase in kidnappings and extortion cases is not directly linked to the prices of assets such as Bitcoin or Ethereum. However, it may affect trust, operational security, and personal data protection within the crypto industry.

For crypto companies, these incidents underscore the importance of physical security measures, customer data protection, and internal policies that reduce public exposure of executives and high-net-worth users. For retail investors, the trend serves as a reminder that crypto-related risks extend beyond market volatility, wallet hacks, and online scams, potentially evolving into real-world physical threats.

The situation also highlights the need for stronger security standards as digital asset adoption grows. According to ADAN, approximately 11% of France’s population owns crypto assets, equivalent to around 7.3 million people. As the user base expands, protecting the identities and personal data of digital asset holders will become increasingly important to maintaining a sustainable crypto ecosystem.

Conclusion

The surge to 77 crypto-related kidnapping and extortion cases in France during the first half of 2026 demonstrates that the digital asset industry is facing increasingly complex security challenges. French authorities have responded by arresting around 200 individuals, introducing a rapid identification system, and strengthening intelligence-sharing and interagency cooperation.

While these incidents do not directly affect cryptocurrency prices, they could influence how companies, investors, and regulators approach industry security. Going forward, data protection, physical security, and collaboration between authorities and industry participants are likely to become critical components of global crypto security infrastructure.