France has become the most dangerous place for bitcoin holders in the world: 90 attacks in 7 months

法国当局记录加密货币相关绑架、勒索及暴力盗窃案件激增

在短短七个多月时间里，法国当局记录了90起涉及加密货币的绑架、诱拐、勒索、威胁及暴力盗窃案件。据法国卫生部向Cointelegraph提供的数据，这些数字涵盖2026年1月1日至8月中旬期间。此外，当局还记录了223起逮捕行动，其中126人被监禁（截至7月）。

这意味着平均每两天半就发生一起新案件。尽管缺乏官方同比数据以判断问题是否突然恶化，但法国卫生部表示：“由于事件记录始于2026年1月1日，我们目前没有2025年的相关统计数据。”

这些新数据令人震惊之处在于，它们远高于其他公共追踪器所记录的“现实空间”攻击数量。Chainalysis统计了截至2026年中期的30起已知的法国加密货币暴力事件，但指出实际规模“几乎肯定更大”。安全公司Gart.io追踪到今年迄今法国发生了73起攻击事件，使法国位居榜首，超过了美国的66起真实世界攻击和英国的27起。

针对法国加密货币持有者的物理攻击——俗称“扳手攻击”（wrench attacks）——的增加表明，这不仅仅是孤立事件的爆发，背后可能有更大的原因：泄露的个人数据可能是罪魁祸首。

为何是法国？

The "wrench attack" is not a new phenomenon. The directory of known physical attacks long maintained by Bitcoin security advocate Jameson Lopp shows that between 2014 and 2026, a total of 365 cases were recorded in 60 countries around the world, with France ranking first. Relevant reports pointed out that in the first half of 2026, burglary has become the most common form of cryptocurrency "wrench attack", according to CertiK statistics.

However, it seems that an emerging trend is the speed at which violent cryptocurrency crime spreads across the country. According to Chainalysis, attacks have expanded from Paris to Strasbourg, Marseille, Grenoble, Toulouse and Nantes.

Violent attacks above historical baseline. Source: Chainalysis.

Criminals are not specifically targeting wealthy cryptocurrency tourists. Of the victims with a known place of residence, 93% were French. Eric Jardine, principal researcher at Chainalysis, told Cointelegraph that the surge was "highly likely" due to a "major data breach."

"Such leaks expose more than just financial information; they also reveal who holds cryptocurrencies, where they live and how to find them."

This makes physical attacks on cryptocurrency holders particularly sinister, as attacks can begin long before the gunman holds a wrench to demand mnemonics or makes a cryptocurrency transfer. Attackers first need to know who has something worth stealing, where they live and how to contact them.

Jardine pointed out that the French tax authorities 'data breach in 2024 may have contributed to the fuel. At the time, a tax official in the Paris area "leaked personal identification information (PII), financial and cryptocurrency holding information of French taxpayers." Chainalysis records show a surge in attacks since late November of the same year.

Chainalysis also pointed to another incident in January 2026, when cryptocurrency tax filing company Waltio disclosed a data breach that affected approximately 50,000 users, providing attackers with more valid data that can be used to mark targets.

Francis Pouliot, founder of Canadian bitcoin exchange Bull Bitcoin, has repeatedly challenged the implementation of the EU DAC8 cryptocurrency reporting rule in France, which expands tax reporting and information sharing requirements for cryptocurrency users within the EU. "DAC8 turns 'Know Your Customer'(KYC) into 'Kill Your Customer'," he said, describing France as "the world's cryptocurrency kidnapping capital."

Real-world attacks. Source: Gart.io.

When the target is not the Bitcoin holder himself

According to Chainalysis, one of the most noteworthy changes may be the identity of the victim. Globally, as of early 2026, relatives and acquaintances accounted for approximately 25% to 30% of violent cryptocurrency incidents, while in France, this proportion exceeded 40%.

In May 2026, six men were suspected of trying to kidnap the wife of The Sandbox co-founder Sébastien Borget from a couple's home in Villenoy, France. One of the attackers disguised as a courier to trick the door open.

In August, it was reported that a couple in rural France experienced three separate attempted break-ins after purchasing a property once occupied by a cryptocurrency millionaire because the former owner's tax information and address were leaked onto the dark web.

A similar tactic was used in 2025, when the father of a cryptocurrency entrepreneur was kidnapped and held for two days in Paris. The kidnappers reportedly cut off one of his fingers and sent it to his son, while demanding $5.6 million in cryptocurrency.

Jardine said targeting of relatives and associated persons "suggests that crimes were detected before the action," whether through "monitoring social media, analyzing blockchain data, using leaked information, or receiving tips from insiders."

This subverts the usual perception of cryptocurrency targets, because the person with the wallet may not be the person standing in front of the attacker.

French authorities are responding by treating such attacks as organized crime and coordinating investigations through JUNALCO, the country's specialized organized crime jurisdiction.

The dilemma of a $5 wrench

Most cryptocurrency holders have learned how to protect mnemonics, set up hardware wallets, test environments, and avoid clicking on phishing links. While these measures are still important, they will not help if the bad guys already know who they are, where they live and what they have worth stealing.

Cryptography protects wallets, but cannot stop attackers holding a $5 wrench.