TL;DR
- Three armed men allegedly targeted Binance France’s CEO in Val-de-Marne, forcing a neighbor at gunpoint to point out the apartment.
- The executive was absent, leaving the suspects to steal two phones and attempt a second break in Vaucresson before realizing it was the wrong address.
- Police tracked device signals and a suspect vehicle, arresting the group in Lyon as Binance’s CEO said the colleague was safe and cooperation would continue.
A botched home invasion attempt in France put Binance’s local leadership under immediate pressure on Feb. 12, yet the suspected attackers failed to reach their intended target. The targeted executive was not at home, and that single detail flipped the outcome of a violent plan. French media said three armed, masked men were seeking the CEO of Binance France and forced entry in the Val-de-Marne area southeast of Paris. Instead of a clean getaway, the group left behind a trail of urgency for investigators and escaped with limited gains from a nearby apartment.
A Two-Location Attempt Ends in Arrests
The first attack unfolded around 7:00 a.m., when the trio allegedly pushed into a neighbor’s apartment and held the resident at gunpoint. The suspects’ plan depended on intimidation, but it also relied on a stranger to guide them to the right door. The victim was forced to indicate which unit belonged to the exchange executive, after which the men moved to that apartment and searched through it. Reports said the CEO was absent, so the intruders grabbed two phones and fled. Investigators were alerted as soon as the neighbor could call for help immediately afterward.
Around 9:15 a.m., a second intrusion was reported in Vaucresson, involving three men believed to be the same suspects from the earlier break in. The repeat strike suggested the crew was chasing a specific person rather than opportunistically looting homes. The resident was hit with the butt of a pistol, and the attackers demanded directions tied to a specific number, then realized they had the wrong place again and fled quickly. Police tracked signals from the stolen phones and a suspect vehicle, and later arrested the group in Lyon the same day, according to reports.
Binance executives moved to contain the reputational spillover and reassure stakeholders that ongoing operations in France remain stable. Binance leadership framed the episode as a personal safety incident, not a platform issue, while pledging full cooperation with authorities. On social media, CEO Richard Teng said the colleague was safe and thanked law enforcement for acting. The case now shifts into follow through: investigators will review how the suspects identified the target and whether accomplices helped. For crypto firms, the message is clear that executive security planning and incident response comms are becoming core governance workstreams.
