France reports 41 crypto-related kidnappings this year

France has seen 41 crypto-related kidnappings so far this year, averaging one incident every 2.5 days, Cointelegraph reported. Speaking at Paris Blockchain Week, Jean-Didier Berger, a delegate minister at the French Ministry of the Interior, announced the creation of a new crypto crime prevention platform that has already attracted thousands of members. He added that he and Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez would unveil enhanced countermeasures within the next few weeks. The announcement follows a recent incident on April 13 in Burgundy, where the wife and 11-year-old child of a cryptocurrency entrepreneur were kidnapped. The perpetrators demanded a ransom of €400,000 ($471,000). The victims were rescued the following morning, and four suspects were arrested. France is considered the country most affected by so-called 'wrench attacks,' where victims are forced to transfer crypto assets through violence and intimidation. According to cybersecurity firm CertiK, there were 72 such attacks globally in 2025, a 75% increase from the previous year. France accounted for 19 of these cases, with Europe representing approximately 40% of the total.