France records 77 crypto-related kidnappings and extortions this year

France is seeing a sharp increase in crime targeting people in the crypto sector. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez reports that 77 cases of kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment, extortion or attempts thereof have already been registered this year. That is a significant rise compared to the 45 cases recorded in the whole of 2025. Reports BMF Business.

Tough approach to crypto crime

Nuñez states that the cases are serious and that concerns within the sector are justified. At the same time, he says that emergency measures introduced over the past year are already starting to work. Some 200 people have now been arrested, both after incidents and during preventive operations.

The minister announces that the new plan, drawn up by all departments of the ministry, is more ambitious than the previous approach. The aim is to better protect people active in the crypto market against criminal networks that specifically target them.

Crypto holders increasingly targeted

The rise in France fits a broader international trend in which people with substantial crypto holdings are increasingly becoming the target of physical crimes. Criminals try to gain direct access to digital wallets or private keys through intimidation and violence, something that is much harder to do with traditional bank balances.

The figures show that the crypto sector is not only facing digital threats such as hacks and scams, but also a growing physical security challenge. With the introduction of a new and more comprehensive action plan, the French ministry hopes to halt the wave of attacks on crypto holders and industry peers.