Paris Kidnapping Attempt Highlights Growing Threat to Crypto Figures

A woman and her child, both relatives of a leading figure in France’s crypto industry, were targeted in an attempted kidnapping in Paris on Tuesday.

Four masked individuals ambushed the family near the 11th arrondissement, according to police sources cited by France 24 and the AFP.

Three of the assailants reportedly sprang from a van and tried to force the woman and her child into the vehicle. Her partner was assaulted as he tried to intervene.

The woman managed to disarm one of the attackers and toss the weapon away, triggering a commotion that attracted bystanders. 

The group then fled, and the van was later recovered by authorities nearby. All three victims sustained minor injuries and were taken to the hospital.

Authorities have confirmed the woman is the daughter of the Paymium co-founder and CEO, one of the earliest crypto exchanges in France.

The latest incident adds to a string of violent crimes targeting crypto-affiliated individuals or their families. Even those not involved in crypto and held for ransom have found abductors demanding payment in crypto. 

A public tracker run by security firm Casa CTO Jameson Lopp has recorded 22 physical crypto-related attacks so far in 2025, occurring in France, Spain, Hong Kong, and elsewhere. 

While the list is not exhaustive and many crimes go unreported, the figure this year compares to 32 cases for all of 2024 and far outpaces the 24 logged in 2023.

France alone has seen at least six such incidents this year. In January, Ledger co-founder David Balland and his partner were abducted in France, with Balland’s finger reportedly severed as kidnappers demanded crypto as ransom. Nine suspects, including the alleged ringleader, have since been apprehended. 

A separate case in early May involved seven arrests after a man was kidnapped to extort cryptocurrency from his wealthy son. The victim also lost a finger. 

On New Year’s Eve last year, the father of a crypto influencer was held hostage in Saint-Genis-Pouilly in a ransom attempt.

Beyond France, the trend is global. In March, Chinese-Filipino steel magnate Anson Que was killed after kidnappers demanded $20 million in crypto, and authorities had already provided $3.5 million. An investigation is currently ongoing.

In Hong Kong, a Turkish man was ambushed during a multimillion-euro crypto deal, the latest in several examples of cash-for-crypto trades gone wrong. 

And in Brazil, a Spanish businessman was drugged and abducted by criminals posing as law enforcement. They demanded $50 million in crypto and held him for five days before he was able to escape.

Edited by Sebastian Sinclair