tl;dr
A woman and her child, relatives of a leading French crypto figure, were targeted in an attempted kidnapping in Paris by four masked assailants. The attackers tried to force them into a van, and the woman's partner was assaulted. The woman disarmed one attacker, causing a commotion that led the grou...
A recent attempted kidnapping in Paris targeted a woman and her child, relatives of a prominent French crypto industry leader. Four masked assailants tried to force them into a van, assaulting the woman's partner in the process. The woman bravely disarmed one attacker, causing a commotion that led the group to flee. All victims sustained minor injuries. The woman is the daughter of Paymium’s co-founder and CEO, marking this incident as part of a worrying rise in violent crimes against crypto-affiliated individuals.
Global data reveal a sharp increase in crypto-related violent attacks, with 22 reported incidents in 2025 alone, compared to 32 for all of 2024. France has been a hotspot, witnessing multiple high-profile kidnappings and ransom cases linked to cryptocurrency. One notable attack involved Ledger co-founder David Balland, who was abducted and suffered severed fingers amid ransom demands paid in crypto. Another case led to seven arrests following the kidnapping of a man to extort payment from his wealthy son.
These violent kidnappings and ransom demands transcend borders, affecting victims worldwide. Examples include a fatal 2025 kidnapping in China of steel magnate Anson Que, where $20 million in crypto was sought, and an ambush in Hong Kong during a multimillion-euro crypto deal. In Brazil, a Spanish businessman was drugged and kidnapped by criminals posing as law enforcement, held captive for five days with a $50 million crypto ransom demand before escaping.
This alarming trend highlights the growing risks faced by individuals linked to the cryptocurrency sector. The criminals increasingly leverage the anonymity and transferability of crypto assets to demand ransom payments. With attacks rising in Europe, Asia, and South America, security remains a critical concern for the global crypto community.