Two armed, masked men entered a home in Alès, southern France, on Aug. 29 and held a couple for more than two hours while demanding a cryptocurrency transfer. A young child was also inside the residence. The assailants escaped before police arrived, and the investigation was assigned to the Nîmes organized and specialized crime division. The incident comes as kidnappings, extortion and home invasions targeting cryptocurrency holders have increased in France since the start of 2026, The Crypto Times reported.