France’s crypto elite are under siege 💥—and the latest attack was straight out of a thriller movie. On a quiet Paris morning, four masked assailants tried to kidnap the pregnant daughter and grandson of the CEO of crypto platform Paymium in broad daylight 😱. Surveillance footage shows the terrifying moment three men leaped out of a van and attempted to drag the family into the vehicle. In a heroic move, the woman snatched a fake gun from one attacker and hurled it away, triggering a dramatic street rescue by passersby—one even armed with a fire extinguisher! 🧯👊
The attackers fled the scene after being overwhelmed by the resistance, but the family sustained minor injuries and were hospitalized. The victim, five months pregnant, was treated for shock 💔. Authorities confirmed the attack was not random—the woman is the daughter of a major crypto boss, making her a prime target in a disturbing wave of violence plaguing the crypto community. This marks France’s third major crypto-related kidnapping attempt this year, with all signs pointing to an organized criminal gang targeting digital asset moguls and their families 💸🔗.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has sounded the alarm 🚨, announcing an emergency summit with crypto entrepreneurs this Friday to ramp up security. “We must make them aware of the risks,” Retailleau said, stressing that coordinated protection plans are now essential. Earlier cases include Ledger co-founder David Balland, who was abducted and had a finger mutilated in January 😨, and another incident this May where kidnappers also resorted to extreme violence to extort crypto ransoms.
The problem isn’t confined to France. In 2025 alone, over 22 crypto-related physical attacks have been reported globally 🌍—from mutilations in France to a $20 million ransom-kidnap in the Philippines and a Brazilian hostage held for $50 million in crypto 😨. These chilling incidents reflect a growing global trend: as crypto fortunes rise, so do the risks of violent, targeted attacks. Security experts warn that the crypto world must now treat physical safety as seriously as cybersecurity if it hopes to survive this new wave of real-world crime 🧠🛡️.