France sees wave of kidnappings targeting crypto families

French police have arrested 24 individuals linked to a recent string of attempted kidnappings targeting cryptocurrency entrepreneurs and their families, amid growing alarm over the security risks faced by high-profile figures in the digital asset world.

The arrests follow a series of violent plots that spanned several regions of France, including a thwarted abduction attempt in Nantes and a dramatic episode in Paris involving relatives of a prominent crypto executive.

Among the most alarming incidents was the attempted kidnapping of a woman and child on 13 May in Paris, believed to be the daughter and grandson of Pierre Noizat, co-founder of the Bitcoin exchange platform Paymium. French media report that a masked gang tried to seize the pair, but the plan ultimately failed.

Just weeks earlier, on May 1, another harrowing case made headlines when the father of a cryptocurrency millionaire was abducted by armed men in balaclavas and forced into a van in the capital. His captors reportedly demanded a ransom of 5–7 million euros (USD 5.6-8 million). Days later, police rescued the man from a home south of Paris. He had suffered the traumatic loss of a finger during his ordeal.

Authorities say they also intercepted a separate kidnapping attempt targeting a crypto-linked individual in the Nantes region earlier this week. Acting swiftly, officers were able to disrupt the plot before it was carried out.

These cases add to an increasingly disturbing trend, including the January abduction of David Balland, co-founder of the crypto hardware firm Ledger. Balland and his wife were kidnapped from their home in central France. Like the other victims, he was also mutilated during captivity, reportedly losing a finger. The perpetrators demanded 10 million euros (USD 11 million) in ransom. Police later arrested six men and one woman in connection with the case.

The rise in targeted attacks has prompted urgent action from the French government. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau held an emergency meeting with cryptocurrency industry leaders in mid-May, pledging full state support to combat the threat.

“The entire state apparatus is fully mobilised to track down the perpetrators and instigators of this violence and put them out of action,” Retailleau said, according to French media.