17-5-2025 – France has unveiled comprehensive security protocols for cryptocurrency entrepreneurs and their families, following a disturbing surge in targeted kidnappings across the nation.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has orchestrated a robust response to what authorities believe may be interconnected criminal activities. The initiative encompasses priority access to emergency services, thorough premises security evaluations, and detailed safety briefings conducted by French constabulary.
A particularly brazen daylight assault occurred on 13 May, targeting relatives of Paymium Chief Executive Pierre Noizat. His daughter displayed remarkable courage when assailants attempted to force her and her child into a vehicle, managing to disarm one of the perpetrators during the failed abduction.
This incident follows two earlier cases this year. A harrowing ordeal unfolded in January when David Balland, co-founder of Ledger, a cryptocurrency hardware wallet manufacturer, was taken from his residence in central France. A successful police operation secured his release approximately 36 hours later. In a separate case, early May saw authorities rescue a cryptocurrency entrepreneur’s father, who had been held captive in connection with a 7 million euros ransom demand.
The scope of cryptocurrency-related crimes has reached alarming proportions globally. Bitcoin researcher Jameson Lopp’s database reveals more than 150 documented cases of cryptocurrency-linked robberies and kidnappings since 2014, with 23 incidents recorded in 2025 alone.
Law enforcement officials will receive specialised training in cryptocurrency asset laundering as part of the new security framework. Lopp’s research indicates that criminals frequently identify potential targets through social media presence, public engagements, and industry events.
“We are implementing immediate and longer-term measures to safeguard the industry through prevention, deterrence, and enhanced protection,” Retailleau emphasised during consultations with prominent figures in France’s cryptocurrency sector.
The findings underscore the importance of discretion regarding crypto-assets, with experts strongly cautioning against public displays of crypto-wealth, wearing branded merchandise, or engaging in peer-to-peer transactions with unknown parties.
