France Charges 88 Individuals, Including Minors, in Crypto 'Wrench Attack' Crackdown

Apr 27, 2026

French prosecutors have charged 88 individuals, including more than 10 minors, across 12 active investigations into violent cryptocurrency wrench attacks, with 75 suspects placed in pre-trial detention. France has recorded 135 crypto-related incidents since 2023, with 67 in 2025 and 47 already in 2026, making it a global hotspot that recorded 19 wrench attacks in 2025 compared to eight in the United States. Authorities describe the attacks as the work of structured criminal networks with foreign masterminds operating through local middlemen, exploiting data breaches including a leak at ANTS that exposed 12 million citizens' personal information. High-profile victims include Ledger co-founder David Balland, who was kidnapped and mutilated, and a couple in Versailles forced to transfer roughly $1 million in Bitcoin at knifepoint. French officials urge crypto holders to limit social media exposure as global wrench attacks reached a record 72 incidents in 2025, resulting in over $40.9 million in losses.

French Law Enforcement Crackdown on Crypto Wrench Attacks

▪75 of the 88 charged suspects have been placed in pre-trial detention across 12 judicial investigations handled by specialized magistrates at the Paris Judicial Court.
▪France has charged 88 suspects across 12 active judicial investigations into violent crypto kidnappings.
▪Three men aged 25-30 were detained over a November 2025 kidnapping in Challes-les-Eaux.
▪Three additional suspects were arrested in connection with a December kidnapping in Dompierre-sur-Mer, with two already charged in the Challes-les-Eaux case.
▪More than 10 of the 88 charged suspects in France's crypto wrench attack investigations are minors.

Scale and Growth of Wrench Attack Crisis in France

▪France recorded 19 wrench attacks in 2025, surpassing the United States which recorded eight.
▪Global wrench attacks resulted in over $40.9 million in losses in 2025.
▪French law enforcement has recorded 135 crypto-related incidents since 2023.
▪Europe accounted for more than 40% of global wrench attack cases in 2025.
▪France recorded 47 crypto-related incidents already in 2026.
▪France recorded 18 crypto-related incidents in 2024.
▪French officials described the 135 crypto-related incidents as the result of structured criminal networks.
▪Investigators identified structured criminal networks by tracing repeat offenders across 135 incidents recorded since 2023.
▪Globally, wrench attacks hit a record 72 incidents in 2025, up 75% year-over-year.

Data Breaches and Criminal Network Operations

▪A leak at ANTS, the French agency handling national ID cards and driving licenses, exposed the personal data of 12 million citizens.

High-Profile Crypto Attack Cases in France

▪Attackers posed as police in a Versailles home invasion last month and forced a couple in their late 50s to transfer roughly $1 million in Bitcoin at knifepoint.
▪Ledger co-founder David Balland was kidnapped and mutilated in a crypto wrench attack.
▪A mother and her 11-year-old son were kidnapped from their home in Burgundy in a crypto-linked ransom plot last week.
▪The final suspect in the David Balland kidnapping case was arrested in Spain last month.
▪The National Organized Crime Prosecutor's Office flagged a surge in phishing calls and emails targeting cryptocurrency holders.