Back
French Minister Says New Measures Are Coming After Crypto Kidnappings

French Minister Says New Measures Are Coming After Crypto Kidnappings

According to Bloomberg, France is preparing new protections for digital asset holders after around 40 crypto-linked kidnappings and attempted kidnappings this year, with the country accounting for more than one-third of publicly reported global wrench attacks since early 2025.

Fact Check
The core claim is well supported by the fetched Cointelegraph article, which directly states that Jean-Didier Berger said at Paris Blockchain Week that France had launched preventative steps, including a prevention platform with thousands of sign-ups, and that stronger measures are being prepared in the coming weeks. The same article also states that local outlet RTL reported 41 crypto-related kidnappings in France in 2026. The fetched KuCoin page repeats the same details and attributes them back to Cointelegraph/TechFlow, offering secondary corroboration. However, confidence is only medium because I could not obtain a direct primary-source transcript/video/post from Berger or RTL itself in this run, and the X links provided were not fetchable.
    Reference: 1
Summary

France is preparing tougher protections for digital asset holders after about 40 crypto-linked kidnappings and attempted kidnappings were reported this year. Bloomberg said more than one-third of publicly reported global wrench attacks since early 2025 occurred in France, underscoring the country’s prominence in this form of crypto-related violent crime. In one recent case in Yonne, kidnappers demanded a $400,000 crypto ransom before police rescued the hostages and arrested seven suspects.

Terms & Concepts
  • digital asset holders: People or entities that own blockchain-based assets such as cryptocurrencies or tokens.
  • wrench attacks: Physical coercion or threats used to force someone to surrender cryptocurrency wallet access, private keys, or other credentials.
  • crypto ransom: An extortion demand requiring payment in cryptocurrency, often because digital assets can be transferred quickly across wallets.