France to strengthen response as crypto wrench attacks hit 77
France is seeing a sharp rise in crypto-linked kidnapping and extortion. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said there were 77 incidents in the first half of 2026, up from 45 in all of 2025, and promised a “more ambitious” response. He said emergency measures have already led to 200 arrests and helped secure a recent arrest within eight hours. France has become a major hotspot for crypto “wrench attacks,” where physical violence is used to force victims to surrender crypto. About 11% of French people, or 7.3 million, own cryptocurrency. Authorities have launched a prevention platform and rapid-alert protection system for holders and industry professionals, with 724 sign-ups so far. Nuñez outlined stronger intelligence-sharing, closer cooperation with industry group ADAN, and better coordination among security services. Security firm CertiK says Europe leads global wrench attacks in 2026 and calls France the epicenter, citing major crypto firms, a culture of oversharing, and repeated data leaks.
