France steps up crypto investor protection after 77 wrench attacks
French authorities plan to expand security measures for cryptocurrency holders following a sharp rise in attacks involving the extortion of digital assets. According to the Interior Ministry, 77 cases of kidnappings, extortion, or attempted attacks have been recorded since the start of 2026.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told local media that law enforcement recorded 45 such crimes during all of 2025. In the first six months of 2026 alone, that figure has already climbed to nearly 80 incidents.
Speaking to members of the Association for the Development of Digital Assets (ADAN), Nuñez pledged stronger support for the crypto industry and announced plans for a broader security initiative aimed at protecting market participants.
According to ADAN, about 11% of France's population, or roughly 7.3 million people, own cryptocurrencies.
Authorities to expand intelligence sharing and police coordination
France previously introduced a rapid alert and protection system for crypto asset holders and industry participants. So far, 724 people have enrolled in the program.Nuñez said emergency police measures have already led to the arrest of about 200 suspects. In one recent case, a suspect was detained just eight hours after an attack through the use of the country's emergency identification hotline.
The government now plans to strengthen international intelligence sharing, expand cooperation with ADAN, and improve coordination among law enforcement agencies.
France remains a hotspot for crypto wrench attacks
According to Certik, the number of so-called wrench attacks—physical assaults aimed at forcing victims to surrender access to cryptocurrency—increased by 41% during the first four months of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier.Analysts describe France as one of the global hotspots for such crimes, citing the country's large concentration of crypto companies, the public profile of industry figures, and the impact of major personal data breaches.
The country has experienced a wave of such attacks for several years. In March 2026, a couple living in a suburb of Paris was targeted after three attackers posing as police officers entered their home and, while threatening them with a knife, forced them to transfer about €900,000 (around $1 million) in Bitcoin to a wallet controlled by the attackers.
Earlier, media reports citing a confidential report by the French judicial police unit SIRASCO said that more than 40 crypto-related kidnappings were recorded in France between July 2023 and the end of 2025.
Latest France News
-
Afghanistan
-
Albania
-
Algeria
-
Angola
-
Argentina
-
Armenia
-
Australia
-
Austria
-
Azerbaijan
-
Bahamas
-
Bahrain
-
Bangladesh
-
Belarus
-
Belgium
-
Bolivia
-
Botswana
-
Brazil
-
Brunei
-
Bulgaria
-
Cambodia
-
Cameroon
-
Canada
-
Chile
-
China
-
Colombia
-
Congo
-
Costa Rica
-
Cote d'Ivoire
-
Croatia
-
Cuba
-
Cyprus
-
Czechia
-
DR Congo
-
Denmark
-
Dominican Republic
-
Ecuador
-
Egypt
-
El Salvador
-
Estonia
-
Eswatini
-
Ethiopia
-
Finland
-
France
-
Georgia
-
Germany
-
Ghana
-
Greece
-
Haiti
-
Hong Kong
-
Hungary
-
India
-
Indonesia
-
Iran, Islamic republic
-
Iraq
-
Ireland
-
Israel
-
Italy
-
Jamaica
-
Japan
-
Jordan
-
Kazakhstan
-
Kenya
-
Korea
-
Kuwait
-
Kyrgyzstan
-
Laos
-
Latvia
-
Lebanon
-
Lesotho
-
Libya
-
Lithuania
-
Luxembourg
-
Madagascar
-
Malaysia
-
Malta
-
Mauritius
-
Mexico
-
Moldova
-
Mongolia
-
Montenegro
-
Morocco
-
Mozambique
-
Myanmar
-
Namibia
-
Nepal
-
Netherlands
-
New Zealand
-
Nigeria
-
North Macedonia
-
Norway
-
Oman
-
Pakistan
-
Palestine
-
Panama
-
Papua New Guinea
-
Paraguay
-
Peru
-
Philippines
-
Poland
-
Portugal
-
Puerto Rico
-
Qatar
-
Reunion
-
Romania
-
Rwanda
-
Saudi Arabia
-
Serbia
-
Singapore
-
Slovakia
-
Slovenia
-
Somalia
-
South Africa
-
Spain
-
Sri Lanka
-
Sweden
-
Switzerland
-
Syria
-
Taiwan
-
Tajikistan
-
Tanzania
-
Thailand
-
Trinidad and Tobago
-
Tunisia
-
Turkey
-
UAE
-
Uganda
-
Ukraine
-
United Kingdom
-
United States
-
Uruguay
-
Uzbekistan
-
Venezuela
-
Vietnam
-
Yemen
-
Zambia
-
Zimbabwe
- Forex
- Crypto
