TL;DR
- Physical assaults aimed at stealing digital assets increased 75% in 2025 and reached 72 confirmed cases worldwide, reflecting a shift from online hacking to direct coercion of owners.
- Europe accounted for more than 40% of incidents, with France reporting 19 attacks connected to organized groups.
- Total losses exceeded $40 million, and the sector answered with new insurance coverage and personal security measures.
The year 2025 showed that the term wrench attacks became part of everyday language in the crypto world. Research from CertiK and several national police forces indicated that criminals changed tactics as digital defenses improved. Instead of breaking codes, they pressured people to reveal seed phrases and wallet passwords. This pattern placed individual safety at the center of the discussion about financial sovereignty.
Wrench attacks are no longer edge cases.
In 2025, wrench attacks rose 75%, with $40.9M in confirmed losses—solidifying targeted violence as a structural risk in digital asset ownership.
The Skynet Wrench Attacks Report is now live.
Read it here👇https://t.co/DRCQAMeRbV
— CertiK (@CertiK) February 2, 2026
Experts noted that encryption standards and hardware wallets made remote theft more expensive and less effective. Criminal networks searched for weaker points and found them in the human factor. Pro-crypto analysts argue that the technology remains reliable and that better habits can reduce danger without limiting innovation. They compare the situation with the early period of online banking, when education gradually lowered fraud rates.
Investigations described a variety of methods. Some groups followed traders on social platforms and selected targets who displayed travel or luxury purchases. Others used fake business meetings to trap victims and force instant transfers. Authorities confirmed that violence became the main instrument in these operations rather than technical skill.
Europe Becomes The Main Stage For Wrench Attacks
Data showed that Europe represented 40% of global cases, almost double the 22% registered in 2025. France led the list with 19 incidents, while Spain and Sweden recorded steady growth. In Marseille, police dismantled a cell that coordinated home invasions and demanded recovery phrases at gunpoint. Detectives highlighted that blockchain traces helped recover part of the funds, an advantage rarely available with cash crimes.
Supporters of digital assets insist that the broader picture still favors crypto. Traditional robberies and card fraud continue to outnumber these episodes by a large margin. Transparent ledgers allowed investigators to follow money flows and identify accomplices across borders.
Industry Response And The Wrench Attacks Conversation
The private sector reacted with practical solutions. Wallet manufacturers introduced delayed transactions and hidden accounts. Exchanges promoted multisignature systems and daily withdrawal caps. Lloyd’s of London launched policies that cover coercion events, which signaled confidence in long-term growth.
Educators advised users to avoid public disclosure of holdings, keep separate devices for trading, and verify identities before meetings. These steps resemble precautions applied to any valuable property and do not require technical expertise.
