France's interior minister to meet with crypto leaders after wave of violent 'wrench attacks'
French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said that he plans to meet with leaders in the cryptocurrency industry to address a recent wave of violent extortion attempts, including the attempted kidnapping of a crypto executive’s family.
“I will … work with them on their security, to make them aware of the risks, and to take together measures to protect them,” Retailleau said Wednesday in an interview with French media Europe1/CNews.
The remarks come after four armed men attempted to kidnap the daughter and grandson of Paymium CEO Pierre Noizat on Tuesday. A video of the attempted abduction was widely circulated on social media, stoking fears regarding the safety of crypto investors and entrepreneurs in France.
The incident is part of a growing global trend of so-called “wrench attacks,” physical assaults aimed at forcing victims to hand over digital assets. According to Bitcoin security expert Jameson Lopp, there have been nearly 25 wrench attacks so far this year around the world, compared to just over 30 in 2024. At least five such assaults have occurred in France this year.
This includes the kidnapping of Ledger co-founder David Balland and his wife in January and an attack against the father of a French crypto player on May 1. Each of the two victims lost a finger. University of Cambridge researchers estimate that many such assaults go unreported .
According to Reuters, French prosecutors have opened an investigation into the gang that perpetrated the attempted abduction on Tuesday. A Parisian shopowner rushed at the masked gang members with a fire extinguisher, successfully thwarting the attack.
Notably, the news comes after Coinbase disclosed on Thursday that cybercriminals obtained user KYC and account records, including addresses, phone numbers, emails, and government IDs, raising concerns over customer safety.
