Crypto home invasions jump 20x as wrench-attack exposure hits $124 million
CertiK says crypto-related home invasions and other physical-coercion “wrench attacks” are rising sharply. In its H1 2026 report, it verified 52 incidents across all attack types, up from 39 a year earlier, with about $124.1 million in reported exposure versus $10.5 million in H1 2025. Europe dominated the visible cases, especially France. The core risk is not just key theft: attackers can force a holder or family member to unlock wallets, reveal recovery phrases, or approve transfers, so custody must prevent any one person from moving major funds alone. Recommended defenses include multisignature or MPC with distributed signers, withdrawal delays, transfer caps, allowlists, staged vaults, and emergency freeze controls. CertiK also warns that leaked personal and financial data can help attackers identify targets and their relatives, making privacy and access controls part of physical-security defense.
