France reports surge in violent crime targeting cryptocurrency wealth

French authorities alerted the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project regarding a surge in organized crime. The National Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime recorded 77 such incidents in 2026, an increase from 67 in 2025 and 20 in 2024. Criminal networks are increasingly using physical violence, such as kidnappings and home invasions, to seize cryptocurrency fortunes. These attacks initially targeted wealthy influencers and cryptocurrency executives.

The trend shows organized criminal networks are moving away from purely digital fraud toward physical terror to acquire digital assets. This escalating violence targets individuals with perceived cryptocurrency wealth, raising concerns about the security of high-value digital assets and the businesses associated with them.