According to the latest Binance report, the United States has seen the greatest number of cases of cryptography removal since 2019, despite the recent increase in incidents in France.
Europe is still the region with the most cryptographic kidnapping incidents, with 59 cases in 6 years. North America saw 48 cases during the same period.
Crypto kidnappings increase while criminals exercise physical threat to steal digital assets
Although the crypto was notoriously popular for hacks and digital malicious exploits, criminals now find a new way of stealing digital assets through physical threats.
However, these attacks are not limited to a single region. While North America and Europe remain the most vulnerable regions for such incidents, other regions have seen an increasing number of attacks.
In the whole of the Asian continent, 62 cases of abduction of cryptography and physical threats have been recorded since 2019. The majority of these cases have taken place in the countries of Southeast Asia.
France experienced six cases of this type recently, three of which occurred in 2025 only. The attackers often target individuals who hold or manage digital assets. Victims include crypto leaders, traders, exchange staff and business owners.
In some cases, criminals continued after family members or tourists suspected of having worn precious portfolio titles.
The growing physical threat of crypto
One of the most serious incidents of this year occurred in January. David Balland, co-founder of Ledger, and his wife were removed from their residence in France. The case drew the attention of industry and the application of laws.
Another recent attempt took place earlier this month in Paris. The armed men would have tried to remove the girl and the grandchild from the CEO of French Crypto Exchange Paymium.
Meanwhile, in New York, police arrested John Woeltz, 37, after discovering that an Italian tourist had been selected captive and mistreated for weeks in a high -end apartment in Manhattan.
Binance highlights a clear scheme between the prices of cryptography and physical crime. Since Bitcoin has reached a summit of all time this year, attacks have reported that physical threats have also climbed.
Until now in 2025, at least 15 incidents of this type have been documented – many involving ransom requests in Bitcoin.
As the values of digital assets are increasing, attackers seem more willing to move offline, using violence and intimidation to access funds.
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