French authorities continue their crackdown on crypto-related crimes as they make further arrests in a gruesome case involving the kidnapping and torture of a cryptocurrency entrepreneur’s father.
As per the latest report by the state-owned media house France 24 on Wednesday, several individuals suspected of participating in this heinous act have been apprehended, as shared by an insider close to the case. The number of arrests in crypto-related kidnappings has seen a significant rise in 2025, with a considerable proportion of these incidents happening in France.
This alarming trend has prompted cryptocurrency business owners to elevate their security protocols. Furthermore, it led to a crucial meeting spearheaded by the French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau to discuss potential countermeasures.
The specifics regarding the number of arrests made on Tuesday remain uncertain as of France24’s source. Suspected individuals can be detained for up to 96 hours without any formal charges.
The victim, a father of an undisclosed cryptocurrency entrepreneur, was held hostage for several days at an undisclosed location. The kidnappers demanded a ransom of up to 7 million euros ($8 million). A police intervention on May 3 facilitated the man’s release, resulting in the arrest of five individuals.
In a related development, a man believed to be instrumental in the recent series of crypto-related kidnappings in France was detained in Morocco on June 4. Moreover, on May 26, French authorities apprehended over 12 individuals associated with high-profile crypto kidnapping cases in Paris.
There have been at least 29 physical crypto attacks this year alone, as per a list compiled by Jameson Lopp, co-founder of self-custodial firm Casa. The numbers are on track to outdo the 35 attacks in 2024 and 24 in 2023. However, the real count could be much higher due to underreporting arising from the fear of revictimization and a wide spectrum of assailants, from organized crime rings to friends and family, as per a study by the University of Cambridge.
At the 2025 Consensus crypto conference, Chainalysis CEO Jonathan Levin shared his thoughts on the rising crypto crimes, attributing it to the mistaken belief among criminals that cryptocurrency transactions are untraceable. Kraken’s Chief Security Officer Nick Percoco pointed out the glaring lack of security consciousness among crypto users as another contributing factor.
