France recorded 90 crypto-related cases involving kidnapping, extortion and violent robbery from January to mid-August 2026, according to French Interior Ministry data cited by Cointelegraph. That works out to roughly one incident every 2.5 days. Separate counts in the report show how different trackers are measuring the problem: blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis said France had 30 publicly recorded crypto violent assault cases by mid-2026, while security firm Gart.io tracked 73 real-world attacks in the country this year, above the 66 it counted in the United States and 27 in the United Kingdom. Chainalysis head of research Eric Jardine said the sharp rise in attacks was likely tied to large-scale data leaks. The report pointed to a French tax data breach and a 2026 user data breach disclosed by crypto tax filing platform Waltio as possible sources of identity, address and asset information on crypto holders. It also said more than 40% of the incidents involved victims’ relatives or acquaintances, while French authorities are coordinating investigations through a specialized judicial body focused on organized crime.
France saw 90 crypto-linked cases involving kidnapping, extortion and violent theft from January to mid-August 2026, according to French Interior Ministry data cited by Cointelegraph. The pace comes to one case every 2.5 days.
Other datasets in the report show lower and higher counts depending on scope. Blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis said France had 30 publicly recorded crypto violent assault cases by mid-2026. Security firm Gart.io tracked 73 real-world attacks in France this year, higher than the 66 it counted in the United States and 27 in the United Kingdom.
Eric Jardine, head of research at Chainalysis, said the surge in attacks was likely linked to large-scale data breaches. The report said a French tax data leak and a user data breach disclosed in 2026 by crypto tax filing platform Waltio may have given attackers access to crypto holders’ identities, home addresses and asset information.
It also said more than 40% of the related attacks in France involved victims’ relatives or acquaintances. Criminals may have identified targets in advance through social media, onchain data and leaked information. French authorities are now coordinating investigations through a specialized judicial body for organized crime.
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