France is world’s most dangerous place for Bitcoiners: 90 attacks in 7 months

France Leads Crypto Security Crisis, 90 Attacks in 7 Months

Overview of the Situation

French authorities recorded 90 crypto-related cases involving kidnapping, abduction, extortion, threats, and violent theft in seven months. The figures, provided to Cointelegraph by the French Interior Ministry, are from Jan. 1 to mid-August 2026. Authorities also recorded 223 arrests, and 126 people were imprisoned from January to July.

The Rise of Physical Attacks

The figures equate to a new case every two and a half days, although there is no official year-on-year comparison to understand if the problem has become suddenly worse. Chainalysis counted 30 publicly known violent crypto incidents in France through mid-2026, but noted that the scale was “almost certainly larger.” Security firm Gart.io has tracked 73 attacks in France in the year to date, which puts France in the number one spot ahead of the USA on 66 real world attacks, and the UK on 27.

Data Breaches and Leaked Information

The rise in physical attacks — known as “wrench attacks” — on crypto holders in France points to something bigger than a rash of isolated incidents. Leaked personal data may be the culprit. Wrench attacks are far from a new phenomenon. Bitcoin security advocate Jameson Lopp’s long-running directory of known physical attacks has documented 365 cases across 60 countries between 2014 and 2026, with France topping the leaderboard. Related: Home invasions became most common crypto wrench attack in H1 2026: CertiK

The Spread of Attacks

Attacks have gone beyond Paris to places including Strasbourg, Marseille, Grenoble, Toulouse and Nantes, according to Chainalysis. Violent attacks above the historical baseline. Source: Chainalysis. Criminals aren’t targeting crypto rich tourists, and of the victims with known residency, 93% were French. Chainalysis head researcher Eric Jardine tells Cointelegraph the surge is “very likely” due to a “significant data breach.”