ChainCatcher report, according to Cointelegraph, Bitcoin journalist Joe Nakamoto stated that approximately 70% of violent "wrench attacks" targeting cryptocurrency holders and their families globally have occurred in France. Since the beginning of 2026, France has recorded 41 cryptocurrency-related kidnappings, averaging one every two and a half days. Nakamoto attributes this to the centralized storage of KYC (Know Your Customer) data. During the 2020 data breach of hardware wallet provider Ledger, personal information, home addresses, and email addresses of over 270,000 users were exposed, providing criminals with precise targets. Jameson Lopp, CEO of Casa, said, "France is the canary in the coal mine, revealing how the surveillance infrastructure built by financial regulation directly harms Bitcoin holders." To mitigate such threats, industry experts recommend users employ custodial services with security features that can trigger asset freezes and alert law enforcement during an attack; they also advise maintaining a "decoy" wallet with a small amount of funds and avoiding public disclosure of cryptocurrency holdings to remain low-profile.
Report: 70% of crypto wrench attacks occur in France
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Summary
A recent report highlights that 70% of crypto wrench attacks—violent kidnappings targeting crypto holders—occur in France. Since 2026, 41 cases have been recorded, averaging one every 2.5 days. The trend is linked to the centralized storage of KYC data, as exemplified by the 2020 Ledger security breach, which exposed over 270,000 users. Experts recommend using secure custody services with freeze features and avoiding public disclosure of inflation data or crypto holdings to reduce risk.
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