French official data shows the country recorded 90 crypto-related cases involving kidnapping, extortion, threats and violent robbery between Jan. 1 and mid-August 2026, or roughly one incident every 2.5 days. Over the same period, police carried out 223 arrests, while 126 people were jailed from January through July. Separate datasets also point to France as one of the hardest-hit jurisdictions for real-world attacks tied to crypto holders.
Blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis said France had 30 publicly recorded crypto violent assault cases as of mid-2026. Security firm Gart.io tracked 73 real-world attacks in France this year, above 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 is likely linked to large-scale data breaches. The report cited a French tax data leak and a 2026 user data breach disclosed by crypto tax filing platform Waltio as possible sources of identity, address and asset information used by attackers. It also said more than 40% of the cases in France involved victims’ relatives or acquaintances.
According to BlockBeats, official French data released on Oct. 9 shows that France recorded 90 crypto-related cases involving kidnapping, extortion, threats and violent robbery from Jan. 1 to mid-August 2026, averaging about one case every 2.5 days.
During the same period, police made 223 arrests. From January to July, 126 people were jailed.
Separate tallies also show elevated attack numbers in France
Blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis said France had 30 publicly recorded crypto violent assault cases as of 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.
Data breaches seen as a likely factor
Eric Jardine, head of research at Chainalysis, said the jump in attacks is likely tied 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.
The report also said more than 40% of the related attacks in France involved victims’ relatives or acquaintances. Attackers may have identified targets in advance through social media, on-chain data and leaked information. French authorities are coordinating investigations through a specialized judicial body focused on organized crime.
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