French authorities have indicted at least 88 people, including ten minors, in connection with a series of violent crypto wrench attacks targeting cryptocurrency holders. The charges were announced by Vanessa Perrée, France’s national prosecutor for organized crime (PNACO), who stated that the cases involve 12 ongoing investigations handled by specialized judges at the Paris Judicial Court. Out of the 88 charged, 75 remain in pre-trial detention as law enforcement continues to dismantle the networks behind these attacks.
Wrench attacks involve physical threats or violence to force victims to transfer crypto assets. French prosecutors have linked these crimes to home invasions, kidnappings, extortion attempts, and forced wallet access. PNACO recorded a sharp rise in such incidents: 18 in 2024, 67 in 2025, and 47 so far in 2026, illustrating the growing scale of physical crypto-related crime in France. Perrée emphasized the severity of the charges, including abduction, detention, and extortion in an organized gang, noting the "harm caused to individuals" and the methods used.
Investigators have merged several cases after finding repeated links between suspects, revealing "the existence of structured networks" according to Perrée. Authorities are still working to identify the organizers and trace financial flows. The cases come amid broader industry warnings: blockchain security firm CertiK reported that physical crypto attacks worldwide rose by 75% in 2025, resulting in approximately $41 million in confirmed losses. Blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs cited criminals' ability to connect public wealth signals with personal data online as a key driver behind the surge.
Notably, in January 2025, David Balland, co-founder of crypto hardware developer Ledger, and his wife were abducted from their home in central France by suspects demanding a 10 million euro ransom. Telegram founder Pavel Durov also commented on the situation, suggesting the rise may be linked to alleged misuse of crypto investor tax data by a former tax official.
French authorities urged crypto holders to remain vigilant, avoid extensive exposure on social media, and be wary of criminals posing as authorities seeking location information. Investigators continue to pursue all leads to break up the criminal groups involved.
