The year 2025 is shaping up to be one of the most dangerous in history for cryptocurrency holders. Alena Vranová, founder of SatoshiLabs (maker of hardware wallets), issued a stark warning at the Baltic Honeybadger 2025 conference in Riga, Latvia, highlighting the alarming rise of violent assaults aimed at stealing private keys.

These incidents, known as “key attacks”, involve kidnappings, physical assaults, and extortion, all with the goal of forcing victims to hand over access to their digital assets.

According to Vranová, at least one Bitcoin user somewhere in the world is abducted, tortured, or extorted every week. And it’s not just wealthy crypto veterans – there have been cases of kidnappings for as little as $6,000 in cryptocurrency and murders motivated by crypto holdings worth $50,000.

Data from Chainalysis shows that 2025 has already nearly matched the worst year on record for such attacks. If this pace continues, the final count could double.

Data Breaches Feeding Criminal Targeting

One of the main factors driving the surge in physical attacks is the massive wave of personal data leaks from centralized services.

According to Vranová, over 80 million crypto user identities are currently exposed online, with 2.2 million of them revealing home addresses.

Most of this information originates from exchanges and wallet providers required by Know Your Customer (KYC) laws to store sensitive data – names, phone numbers, ID scans, and residential addresses. This essentially creates a “shopping list” for criminals.

The problem is far from theoretical.

In May 2025, Coinbase confirmed a hack involving personal information, including addresses, of some customers. A month later, Cybernews uncovered databases containing over 16 billion stolen login credentials from major tech firms (Apple, Facebook, Google), with records including geolocations and other data that could identify crypto investors.

Combining stolen personal information with blockchain analysis tools enables criminals to pinpoint high-value holders and launch targeted phishing schemes, SIM-swap attacks, or, in the worst cases, use physical violence to force victims to surrender their keys.

How the Community Is Responding

The rise in attacks has prompted many investors to strengthen both physical and operational security. High-profile Bitcoin holders are hiring private security, installing home defense systems, and using privacy tools to conceal their holdings.

Even ordinary investors are taking precautions – from using non-custodial wallets and splitting assets across multiple secure locations to limiting public disclosures about their investments.

Experts recommend maintaining strict opsec:

  • Use unique passwords and enable multi-factor authentication.

  • Regularly check for personal data exposure in breaches.

  • Stay vigilant against unusual contacts or suspicious offers.

If the current trajectory continues, 2025 could set – and potentially double – the previous record for violent physical attacks on cryptocurrency holders. A sobering milestone for a technology once hailed as the secure “digital gold.”

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