Paris police hunt armed suspects after attempted kidnapping of crypto entrepreneur's daughter, grandchild

Police in Paris are searching for a group of armed men who allegedly attempted to kidnap a cryptocurrency entrepreneur’s 34-year-old daughter and her two-year-old child on Tuesday, according to local media reports. The attempted kidnapping happened in broad daylight and appears to have been caught on camera. 

A video taken from a nearby security camera shows three masked men attempting to apprehend the victims at around 8:20 a.m. local time on the Rue Pache in the 11th arrondissement. The woman’s husband was able to scare away the assailants, who abandoned their vehicle a few streets away.

Police told the French-language publication Le Parisien that the woman is the daughter of a crypto CEO.

The move comes amid a rising trend of so-called " wrench attacks ," a physical threat aimed at coercing someone into revealing their private keys or transferring their crypto assets. 

A GitHub repository maintained by Jameson Lopp, an OG Bitcoiner and founder of security firm Casa, shows dozens of physical attacks on crypto holders or their friends and family worldwide. According to Lopp, there have been nearly 25 attacks so far this year, compared to just over 30 last year. That said, many such attacks often go unreported . 

There have now been at least five wrench attacks in France alone this year, including the high-profile kidnapping of Ledger co-founder David Balland and his partner. According to reports, the couple were tortured and held for a multi-million dollar ransom . One of Balland’s fingers was cut off. 

Notably, popular streamer Amouranth was a victim of an armed home invasion in Houston, Texas, after she posted screenshots of her $20 million BTC fortune. She was able to successfully defend herself by shooting the attacker.