A violent crypto-targeted crime in Russia has resulted in five arrests after a 22-year-old programmer was kidnapped and tortured for access to his digital asset wallets. According to Russian media, the attackers stole nearly 10.4 Bitcoin plus other valuables worth more than 84 million rubles (approximately $1 million).
Reports indicate the victim was targeted after his social media posts showed luxury cars — including Ferraris, BMWs, and Mercedes — and frequent foreign travel. The group allegedly followed him before attacking on September 6 as he walked to a store in Ivanovo. The assailants tied him up and forced him to transfer crypto holdings.
Russian authorities later detained five suspects in Yaroslavl, Yekaterinburg, St. Petersburg, and Tver. The case underscores a broader physical security risk highlighted by a Chainalysis report, which found that more than $30 million in cryptocurrency had been stolen through physical attacks in early 2026.
