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A terrifying pattern is emerging in France, where families of cryptocurrency executives are being targeted in violent and high-stakes abduction attempts. The latest drama unfolded Tuesday morning in a quiet Paris neighborhood when three armed men tried to kidnap a pregnant woman in broad daylight.
The 34-year-old woman, believed to be the daughter of a senior official at a crypto company, was walking with her husband on Rue Pache when a white van pulled up. Witnesses said three masked men jumped out with guns drawn and tried to force the woman and child into the vehicle.
But the woman fought back.
In a moment caught on video, she managed to grab one of the kidnappers’ weapons while her husband, already injured from blows, screamed for help, shouting, “She’s pregnant!” Their cries quickly drew the attention of passersby, causing the assailants to flee. The white van used in the attempt was later found abandoned on a nearby street.
@Valeurs | Ce mardi matin, deux personnes proches de l'univers de la cryptomonnaie ont fait l’objet d’une tentative d’enlèvement en plein Paris. Trois hommes cagoulés ont tenté de les faire monter de force à bord d’une fourgonnette, en vain. Les enlèvements de ce type, visant… pic.twitter.com/kgXrhIYORZ
— Amaury Bucco (@AmauryBucco) May 13, 2025
This isn’t an isolated case, and that’s what’s worrying both police and those connected to the crypto world.
Just days earlier, in another part of Paris, the father of a cryptocurrency businessman was abducted and held for 48 hours while kidnappers demanded a ransom in the millions. According to reports in the Daily Mail, the gang even cut off the man’s finger and sent a video of it to his family to pressure them into paying. The police eventually located the building where he was being held and arrested five suspects.
The victim’s wife told authorities that their family had previously received threats. The family's business is reportedly based in Malta.
The wave of crypto-related kidnappings goes back months. In January, the co-founder of the cryptocurrency firm Ledger, David Balland, and his wife were kidnapped and tortured. Balland was mutilated, and the kidnappers demanded €10 million in ransom. The couple was found a day later, clearly abused but alive.
In yet another case in December 2024, the father of a Dubai-based crypto entrepreneur was kidnapped and held for nearly 24 hours in eastern France. He was later discovered stuffed in the trunk of a car in Normandy.
French police are now investigating whether these incidents are linked and whether organized crime networks may be targeting individuals connected to high-value digital assets.
— Amaury Bucco (@AmauryBucco) May 13, 2025
