Source: Cointelegraph
Original: (Reports indicate that French cryptocurrency entrepreneurs will receive additional security due to recent kidnapping incidents)
According to Politico, due to a recent surge in kidnapping incidents related to cryptocurrencies in France, French cryptocurrency entrepreneurs and their families will receive enhanced security measures.
According to reports on May 16, these measures include priority access to police emergency hotlines, home security assessments, and security briefings provided by French law enforcement to ensure best security practices are followed.
French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau introduced these security measures as part of a broader effort to respond to a recent series of attacks.
Retailleau also noted that law enforcement will receive 'anti-cryptocurrency asset money laundering training.'
After three recent kidnapping incidents related to cryptocurrencies, Retailleau met with several local leaders in the crypto industry to discuss these measures.
The most recent incident occurred on May 13, when attackers attempted to kidnap the daughter and grandson of Pierre Noizat, CEO of the French crypto platform Paymium, in broad daylight. Fortunately, they successfully repelled the attack.
Local police stated that the attackers attempted to force two people into a waiting van, but Noizat's daughter successfully grabbed a gun from one of the attackers and threw it away.
In the heart of Paris, a man was assaulted by individuals wearing hoods and dressed entirely in black. They attempted to abduct him. A man appeared, fire extinguisher in hand, to scare them off. →https://t.co/P0qV6PR40v pic.twitter.com/9f4r2Gi7ho
On May 3, Paris police rescued the father of a cryptocurrency entrepreneur who had been held for several days due to a kidnapping plot involving €7 million ($7.8 million).
In January, David Balland, co-founder of cryptocurrency hardware wallet provider Ledger, was kidnapped from his home in central France in the early hours of January 21. He was held until being released after a police operation on the evening of January 22.
Retailleau stated earlier this week that he believes these incidents are likely related to one another.
According to a GitHub database maintained by Bitcoin cypherpunk Jameson Lopp, there have been over 150 incidents of robbery or kidnapping related to cryptocurrencies since 2014, with 23 occurring just in 2025.
Lopp pointed out that many criminals typically identify future victims through social media posts, public conversations, gatherings, and meetings.
He strongly advised against peer-to-peer transactions—especially dealing with untrustworthy individuals—showing off wealth on social media, and wearing clothing with cryptocurrency branding.
Related: Surge in violent robberies related to cryptocurrencies: Six attacks targeting investors
