Two armed, masked intruders tied up a couple at their home in Alès, southern France, held them for more than two hours and allegedly tried to force a cryptocurrency transfer before fleeing as police arrived. Their young child was reportedly inside, and neighbors alerted authorities after hearing screams. The investigation was assigned to the Organized and Specialized Crime Division, or DCOS, in Nîmes, with no arrests initially reported. The attack comes amid a sharp rise in physical crimes targeting cryptocurrency holders and relatives in France. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said authorities had recorded 77 cases involving kidnapping, unlawful detention, extortion or attempted crimes connected to cryptocurrency by the end of June, compared with 45 during all of 2025. A local report cited around 80 cases since the start of 2026, while national prosecutor Vanessa Perrée said 135 crypto-related kidnapping cases had been recorded since 2023, with 88 suspects charged, including more than 10 minors. International data also indicates an increase in physical crypto attacks.