Crypto-related kidnappings in France continue to be a major issue following recent information shared by the National Prosecutor’s Office for Anti-Organized Crime. In the last three years, authorities have reported over 100 of these incidents, describing a rapidly evolving criminal practice.
French Crypto-Kidnappings Rise To 46 In 2026 So Far
According to local media Lemonde, Vanessa Perrée, head of the National Prosecutor’s Office for Anti-Organized Crime, shares an update on cryptocurrency-related kidnappings in France. The chief prosecutor announced that 12 ongoing legal cases are related to these criminal events, involving 88 defendants, 75 of whom are in pre-trial detention.
Vanessa Perrée reports that there have been 46 cryptocurrency-related kidnappings so far in 2026, a growth rate that is alarming compared to the total 67 recorded in 2025. Earlier this week, on-chain sleuth ZachXBT and Binance security combined efforts to seize $800,000 demanded as ransom after the abduction of the father of a French influencer. In total, there have been 135 crypto-related kidnappings in the European nation since 2023.
In these cases, the French authorities have identified multiple instances of involvement by the same individuals, pointing to a defined criminal network. For example, three men between the ages of 25 and 30 were convicted last week for a kidnapping incident in Challes-les-Eaux in November 2025. However, two of these men were also involved in a similar incident in Dompierre-sur-Mer in December 2025, where they forcibly extracted 8 million euros from a couple.
Interestingly, Telegram Founder Pavel Durov has made some fiery claims on this developing phenomenon. Bitcoinist reported that Durov accuses French officials of being complicit in these crimes by selling crypto data to the kidnappers. The tech CEO alleges the tax database was poorly maintained and spoke out against the collection of social media data, which he claimed created more avenues for data leaks.
Meanwhile, Perrée has reiterated the government’s commitment to clamp down on these crypto-related kidnappings, which have been surging since January 2025. In addition, Jean Didier, a representative of France’s Interior Ministry, has also confirmed plans to introduce more stringent measures. According to data from TripleA, France represents a leading European crypto hub with 5% of its population (3.4 million) owning one cryptocurrency or another.
Crypto Market Overview
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