A wave of kidnappings involving cryptocurrency executives has shaken France. Authorities are investigating a series of cases that have come to light recently. The latest incident involves the kidnapping of a 60-year-old millionaire who, along with his son, runs a cryptocurrency marketing company. The man was abducted at 10:30 p.m. on Thursday while walking in the 14th district of Paris by four masked men who forced him into a delivery van. He was released after police intervention on Saturday night in Essonne. His captors had cut off one of his fingers and demanded ransom from his son. Five suspects have been arrested.
The victim’s wife told investigators that both her husband and son, who run a Malta-based cryptocurrency marketing company, had faced threats in the past. According to Le Parisien, the kidnappers demanded a ransom of 5-7 million euros, which was not paid. The five suspects, aged between 20 and 27, continue to be interrogated by police. This is the latest in a string of kidnappings of individuals involved in cryptocurrencies in France and neighboring countries.
David Balad, founder of the billion-dollar-valued cryptocurrency company Ledger, was also kidnapped alongside his partner in January near Bourges in central France. His finger was cut off by the kidnappers, who sent a video of it along with a ransom demand of approximately 10 million euros in cryptocurrencies to a colleague. Balad was released after police intervention.
In December 2024, the father of a Dubai-based French cryptocurrency influencer became a target of an alleged kidnapping in eastern France. The perpetrators entered his home, tied up his wife and daughter, and forced him into a car. His son, the influencer, received a ransom request and contacted the police. The two women were quickly released, and the man was found 24 hours later in the trunk of a car in Normandy, bound and showing signs of physical abuse.
Other kidnappings of cryptocurrency professionals or their associates have been reported in Spain and Belgium in the last five months.