On-chain Wealth Turns Deadly: Crypto Kidnapping in Paris Forces Victim to Hand Over Ledger Wallet

A 23-year-old man was reportedly kidnapped in Maisons-Alfort, a suburb of Paris, in what marks the latest in a growing number of violent incidents linked to cryptocurrency.

According to a Thursday report by Le Parisien, the victim was abducted earlier this week and held for several hours as his captors demanded access to both cash and his Ledger wallet.

The attackers reportedly targeted the victim and his partner, forcing them into a situation that French police are now investigating as kidnapping and unlawful confinement by an organized gang.

The incident began on Tuesday morning when the young couple left their home by car. They had set out on errands. When the driver couldn’t find parking, his partner got out while he circled the neighborhood.

A 23 year old man was kidnapped Tuesday while out shopping in Maisons-Alfort, France. The attackers called his partner and demanded his Ledger and 5,000 EUR in cash. She complied & he was released.

This is the 10th wrench attack this year in France!https://t.co/ZE7WK8vtcQ

Minutes later, she received a message from her partner claiming he had an urgent work issue.

Unaware of the real situation, she returned home. That’s when the event quickly escalated.

Her phone rang. It was a video call. On the screen wasn’t her partner, but another man.

The person on the call demanded that she gather €5,000 in cash and a Ledger hardware wallet and place them in a bag.

“Violence was used to make him talk,” a source told Le Parisien, indicating the kidnappers had knowledge of the man’s crypto holdings.

The woman, following the instructions, waited outside her home with the bag. A third person arrived and collected it.

By 5 p.m., the victim called his partner. He had been released in the nearby town of Créteil and was on his way back. French authorities have not disclosed any details about the man’s identity or the exact amount of crypto involved.

Police from Val-de-Marne are now handling the case. A source confirmed that the woman has been handed over to the judicial police.

“This is a sensitive case,” a police official said. The Anti-Banditism Brigade has reportedly made several arrests in connection with a series of recent kidnappings targeting crypto holders.

Tuesday’s attack is the tenth such case to surface in France in recent months, raising alarm among local crypto users and law enforcement.

Investigators believe the victim was carefully selected and that the perpetrators had detailed information about his assets and routines.

The recent wrench attack in a Paris suburb is just the latest in a chilling trend of violent crimes targeting crypto holders in 2025.

According to data compiled by Bitcoin security advocate Jameson Lopp, at least 32 wrench attacks have occurred globally this year, nearly one-third in France alone, putting 2025 on track to surpass the previous record of 36 incidents in 2021.

The assaults are becoming more brutal and calculated. Early this month, a crypto influencer in Essonne was kidnapped and beaten after attackers demanded €50,000 in crypto. They released him after discovering his wallet was nearly empty.

In January, David Balland, co-founder of Ledger, and his wife were kidnapped in rural France. Balland also had a finger cut off as part of a ransom attempt. Twelve suspects were later arrested.

David Balland, co-founder of French cryptocurrency hardware wallet manufacturer @Ledger was kidnapped alongside his wife in a shocking incident that left him with severe injuries to one of his hands.#Ledger #CryptoCrimehttps://t.co/IvCjWeovS6

In one of the most harrowing cases this year, the father of a young poker player-turned-crypto trader was abducted by men posing as delivery workers. The kidnappers demanded up to €7 million and sent a video of the victim’s finger being severed. He was later rescued by police in a dramatic operation.

French police freed the kidnapped father of a #crypto entrepreneur in a nighttime raid on Sunday after he was held hostage – and mutilated – for two days.https://t.co/9THKJ3UMMw

Other attacks have similarly targeted families of crypto executives. In May, Pierre Noizat, CEO of Paymium, narrowly avoided tragedy when a group attempted to kidnap his daughter and grandson.

That same month, authorities charged 25 suspects linked to a broader kidnapping ring across Paris.

The violence hasn’t been confined to France. In the U.S., victims in New York and Las Vegas were kidnapped at gunpoint, one of them was driven over 70 miles into the Arizona desert by assailants seeking access to his wallet.

Security experts say the increase in ransom demands, mutilation, and family targeting reflects a new phase in crypto-related crime.

Private firms like Amsterdam-based Infinite Risks International report a surge in demand from crypto executives seeking 24/7 protection.

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