France is facing a surge in violent assaults and kidnappings aimed at cryptocurrency holders, as organised crime groups increasingly turn to physical coercion to obtain private keys and drain digital wallets. Security agencies have documented a marked escalation in so‑called “$5‑wrench attacks”—a term describing the use of force, abduction or torture to compel victims to surrender access to their crypto assets—throughout 2025 and into early 2026.
The trend has accelerated sharply. French authorities recorded multiple kidnapping attempts within days in early 2026, with attackers targeting high‑net‑worth investors, crypto executives and even relatives of known traders. Analysts say France has become a focal point for these networks due to its concentration of successful trading firms and luxury‑focused influencers whose online presence makes them easy to identifyFinanceFeeds.
Investigators warn that criminals are exploiting a combination of public social‑media visibility, historic data leaks—including breaches at crypto‑hardware manufacturers such as Ledger—and, in some cases, illicit access to government databases. In one high‑profile case, a French tax official was indicted for allegedly leaking confidential information on crypto holders to organised crime groups, enabling targeted home invasions.
The attacks highlight a structural vulnerability in self‑custody: anyone with a seed phrase or private key can irreversibly transfer funds, with no bank or intermediary able to halt the transaction. As a result, security experts are urging investors to adopt hardened operational‑security practices, including:
Multisignature wallets with keys stored in separate physical locations
Time‑locked transactions that delay large transfers
Minimising public displays of wealth and reducing digital footprints
Segregating hot and cold storage to limit immediate access
Image BY Blockupy Frankfurt (Montecruz, CC BY-SA 2.0 Deed).
