French authorities have announced stronger measures to combat crime following a rise in cryptocurrency related kidnappings and extortion cases.
Since the start of the year, France has recorded 77 cases involving kidnappings, attempted kidnappings, or extortion linked to cryptocurrency. Speaking at the Association of Digital Asset Holders (ADAN) on June 30, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez revealed that the figure represents a sharp increase from the 45 cases reported in 2025.
France Prepares Stronger Security Measures
Acknowledging growing concerns within the crypto industry, Nuñez described the attacks as serious but noted that emergency security measures introduced last year have already produced positive results. He said authorities arrested about 200 suspects, either after attacks occurred or before planned crimes could be carried out.
As an example, the minister pointed to an incident in the Somme region where suspects were arrested within eight hours after the victim used a dedicated emergency hotline established for members of the cryptocurrency sector.
Nuñez also revealed that 724 people working in the digital asset industry are now enrolled in the government’s rapid identification system, marking an 11 percent increase in participation.
Although full details of the upcoming security initiative have not yet been released, he said every department within the Interior Ministry has contributed to a new security strategy that will be more comprehensive than previous efforts.
The strategy is built around three main priorities. The first is improving intelligence gathering, especially because many of the people directing these crimes are believed to be operating from outside France. The second is strengthening collaboration with ADAN by creating a network of experts that connects cryptocurrency businesses with government authorities. The third focuses on improving coordination among law enforcement agencies while expanding cooperation with foreign governments to dismantle criminal networks responsible for these attacks.
The minister emphasized that international cooperation remains essential. He highlighted the June 2025 arrest in Morocco of a Franco Moroccan suspect believed to have orchestrated several kidnappings targeting the cryptocurrency industry. One of the victims was David Balland, the co founder of Ledger. According to Nuñez, that arrest brought the wave of attacks to an immediate halt.
Crypto Related Violent Robberies Continue
Despite France’s efforts, similar attacks continue to surface in other parts of the world.
In March, a cryptocurrency investor known by the pseudonym Sillytuna reported that armed criminals forced him to surrender approximately $24 million worth of digital assets during a violent robbery.
The victim said the attackers threatened kidnapping and sexual assault unless he transferred control of his cryptocurrency holdings. Blockchain investigators later traced the stolen assets as they moved across several blockchain networks before being converted into privacy focused cryptocurrencies, making them significantly harder to track.#crypto#cryptonews https://coinsignals.net https://t.me/coinsignalpublic
