Report: Approximately 70% of global cryptocurrency hijacking incidents occur in France.

According to a report by Cointelegraph, Bitcoin journalist Joe Nakamoto stated that approximately 70% of wrench attacks targeting cryptocurrency holders and their families globally occur in France. So far in 2026, France has seen 41 cryptocurrency-related kidnappings, averaging one every two and a half days. Nakamoto attributes this to the centralized storage of KYC (Know Your Customer) data. The 2020 data breach at hardware wallet provider Ledger exposed the identities, home addresses, and emails of over 270,000 users, providing criminals with precise targets. Casa CEO Jameson Lopp stated, "France is the canary in the coal mine, revealing how the surveillance systems built by financial regulators can directly harm Bitcoin holders." To address such threats, industry experts recommend holders use secure custody services that can trigger asset freezes and notify law enforcement in the event of an attack; they also suggest preparing a "bait" wallet containing a small amount of funds and maintaining a low profile in public to avoid revealing their cryptocurrency holdings.