Cryptocurrency Heists on the Rise: Six Attacks Targeting Investors
Source: Cointelegraph
Original: (The Rise of Cryptocurrency Heists: Six Attacks Targeting Investors)
As cryptocurrencies became popular and their value skyrocketed, some criminals began using violence to steal money from prominent cryptocurrency holders.
Jameson Lopp said in a GitHub repository that there were 22 “$5 tooling” attacks on cryptocurrency holders in 2025 alone. The title comes from the brute force methods criminals use to force cryptocurrency holders to hand over their digital assets.
In most cases, local law enforcement can intervene before victims are injured and their money is lost. However, violent and successful attacks are on the rise, with some resulting in permanent injury or even death.
A recent incident in Paris, France prompted the French Interior Ministry to hold a special meeting to address this increasingly serious trend. Here are seven of the most impactful attacks this year.
David Balland, founder of the Ledger cryptocurrency wallet, and his wife Amandine Balland were abducted from their home on January 21. The couple were forced into a car and then detained at different locations.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said the kidnappers contacted a Ledger executive and demanded a large ransom in cryptocurrency. The criminals reportedly inflicted serious injuries on Balland’s hands and sent Ledger photos to pressure him.
After Ledger reported the incident to the authorities, some 230 police officers joined the search. Police succeeded in finding and rescuing David on January 22 in Châteauroux (30 miles southwest of his residence). The following day, through questioning arrested suspects and analyzing phone calls, police succeeded in rescuing Amandine in Étampes (80 miles north of Vierzon).
A small ransom was paid. Beccuau said the money was frozen and tracked, eventually leading to the arrest of nine men and one woman.
On January 20, South Korean Bitcoin (BTC) trader Taehwa Kim met a man under the alias “JC” in Makati City, Philippines, who was reportedly interested in buying his Lamborghini. After the test drive, they stopped at a spa, allegedly to meet with JC’s lawyer. Three other men forced Kim into another car and tied his hands.
Kim was held for three days. His attackers then abandoned him about 50 kilometers away, still bound, where police officers found him.
The criminals were unable to take his cryptocurrency, but they did steal his car, Rolex watch, wallet and house keys.
In November 2024, streamer and cosplayer Kaitlyn Siragusa, known professionally as “Amouranth,” posted a screenshot on X of her cryptocurrency wallet, which contained approximately $20 million in Bitcoin (BTC) and $80,000 in Ether (ETH).
A few months later, on March 2, 2025, three armed assailants broke into her home with the intention of robbing her of her cryptocurrency. She posted on X during the incident, saying, “I was robbed at gunpoint. I believe I shot one of them, they were screaming that they wanted crypto and dragged me out of bed.”
Siragusa said the attackers physically assaulted her before she fired the gun, then fled the scene. She said police were examining blood left at the scene by the suspects and posted a video of the incident on her X profile.
On March 29, police in São Paulo arrested a former military policeman in connection with the week-long kidnapping of a Spanish businessman.
Speaking to authorities, the businessman said he was approached by two men dressed in fake police uniforms and forced into a van. When he reached a remote location on the outskirts of the city, the attackers detained him and demanded $50 million in cryptocurrency.
Local media reported that the kidnappers gave the victim sleeping pills, but he was able to escape when one of them went to the toilet. After finding a gas station, he notified the police, who arrested one of the suspects along with a pistol and ammunition.
The daughter and grandson of Pierre Noizat, co-founder and CEO of French cryptocurrency exchange Paymium, escaped a kidnapping attack in Paris when passersby intervened.
Three masked attackers tried to force Noizat's daughter and her son into a van while they were walking in Paris on May 13.
In the middle of Paris, a man was attacked by masked men, dressed entirely in black. They were trying to kidnap him. A man appeared, holding a fire extinguisher, to make them run away. →https://t.co/P0qV6PR40v pic.twitter.com/9f4r2Gi7ho
Noizat's daughter managed to disarm one of the attackers, after which a passing crowd intervened. The attackers fled in a truck, which was later found abandoned nearby. The victims were injured and taken to a local hospital.
Local media reported that the Anti-Gang Task Force, a special police unit of the French Interior Ministry, is investigating the incident.
Kidnappers in Paris, France kidnapped the father of a French cryptocurrency entrepreneur on May 4.
The attackers drove him to Essonne, 35 miles from the Paris street where they kidnapped him, and cut off one of his fingers. They filmed the attack and sent it to his son, demanding €5 million in cryptocurrency. The victim’s son then contacted the police.
The victim was held for two days before French police were able to find and rescue him. According to CNN, five people have been arrested in connection with the kidnapping.
Authorities have noted the striking similarities between this incident and Balland's, whose attackers also drove him several miles out of town and mutilated his hand.
“Clearly, there is at least one link in the modus operandi. Now, whether it is the same group or not is for the investigators to determine,” said internal security expert Guillaume Farde.
The recent surge in attacks has shaken the cryptocurrency industry. Ben Davis, co-founder and CEO of blockchain insurance company Native, told Cointelegraph, “We used to see cryptojacking attacks primarily occurring when executives were overseas or traveling. However, high-profile cases like the kidnapping of Ledger’s co-founder show that attackers are now targeting individuals in their own homes, with more planning and precision than ever before.”
Authorities are also responding to concerns. On May 16, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau met with cryptocurrency experts to address the recent rise in violent crimes targeting industry figures.
In the near future, personal security, not just asset security, will be a defining theme of the cryptocurrency industry.
Additional reporting by Cath Jenkin
