The crypto industry in France is facing an escalation of physical violence that has now reached the Marseille region. Local police arrested four men over the weekend who were holding two women hostage, demanding access to their digital wallets. According to local newspaper La Provence, it is the first operation of this kind recorded in that part of the country.
The suspects allegedly began their activity around 3 a.m. on Saturday, with a failed attempt to break into a residence in Marseille’s 13th district, before carrying out at least two more attacks in the towns of Gardanne and Gignac-la-Nerthe. The investigation was handed over to the Brigade de Répression du Banditisme.
French authorities have recorded nearly 70 kidnappings or extortion attempts linked to cryptocurrencies since January 2026, with 88 people charged across the country. A recurring element is that attackers arrive with precise information about their victims, obtained in part from data breaches such as the Waltio leak in January, which exposed records of approximately 50,000 users. French regulations require cryptocurrency users to declare their wallets and capital gains, generating centralized databases that become high-value targets for criminals.
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