Ledger co-founder safe amid false kidnapping rumors
Ledger co-founder safe amid false rumors
Eric Larchevêque, co-founder of the cryptocurrency hardware wallet company Ledger, is confirmed safe following widespread rumors of his alleged kidnapping in France.
The claims, which surfaced earlier this week, suggested that Larchevêque had been abducted in the small town of Mairé, with reports of a Bitcoin ransom demand and the involvement of French authorities. However, these allegations have since been dismissed as unsubstantiated, according to Coingape.
Conflicting Reports Create Crypto Industry Stir
The rumors quickly gained traction within the cryptocurrency community, fueled by posts on social media. Some claimed that French police, including the elite National Gendarmerie
Intervention Group (GIGN), were actively investigating the case in the Vienne region. However, local sources and investigative journalists soon raised doubts about the authenticity of the claims.
Gregory Raymond, co-founder of the investigative outlet The Big Whale, urged caution in spreading unverified information. “Be careful with published information that could threaten an ongoing investigation in France,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Similarly, French media outlet Le Fil d’Info suggested the rumors may have been exaggerated or entirely fabricated.
Adding to the confusion, former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) acknowledged the conflicting reports, stating, “I don’t know what is real for now… Regardless, I hope he is fine.”
A Reminder to Verify Before Sharing
Ledger, which Larchevêque co-founded in 2014, has remained silent on the matter, declining to issue an official statement.
While the rumors were ultimately debunked, they underscore the risks of misinformation in the digital age, particularly in the highly speculative cryptocurrency sector. As of now, Larchevêque is confirmed safe, with no evidence of a kidnapping or ransom demand.
Uniswap Labs and Ledger have recently partnered to enhance decentralized finance accessibility. The integration of Uniswap’s Trading API into Ledger Live lets users swap tokens securely via Ledger’s hardware wallets.
