France hit with another crypto-kidnapping case

France has just registered its fifth cryptoasset-related physical attack this year, as the country followed a kidnapping drama unfolding over the weekend.

French media report that the kidnapped man, the father of an unnamed “crypto-millionaire,” was freed on Saturday after being abducted last Thursday in Paris.

AFP reports that the criminals kidnapped the man by pushing him into a delivery van. Four men wearing ski masks carried out the abduction and allegedly cut off one of the man’s fingers, according to unconfirmed reports.

Le Parisien claims that the kidnappers demanded a €5–7 million ransom for the victim, who, together with his son, reportedly owns a crypto marketing firm in Malta.

The man was released on Saturday evening in Palaiseau (Essonne) by law enforcement, who arrested five people.

Also, reportedly, the victim's wife said that her husband and the son were threatened in the past as well.

As previously reported by Cybernews, a crypto influencer's father was kidnapped in France on New Year's Eve. However, the 56-year-old victim was found in the trunk of a car that was stopped for inspection in Le Mans, while the suspects fled. Also in January, police rescued David Balland, co-founder of a major manufacturer of bitcoin (BTC) and crypto hardware wallets, Ledger, along with his wife, and ten people were arrested.

Last year, there were 22 registered cases of physical attacks in the crypto world, which is around 22% more than in 2023, according to a public database. In 2025, the database has already added 21 cases.