WikiBit 2026-02-14 09:52Update Feb. 13, 1:44 pm UTC: This article has been updated to include a comment from Yi He, the co-founder and chief customer service officer at
Crypto wrench attacks rise 75% in 2025; France sees most attacks
The attack occurred days after French police arrested six people over the kidnapping of a magistrate and her mother in a crypto-linked ransom attack targeting the magistrates partner, a crypto entrepreneur, Cointelegraph reported on Monday.
Physical attacks targeting cryptocurrency investors, also known as “wrench attacks,” have risen over the past year. Wrench attacks increased by 75% during 2025 to 72 verified cases worldwide, according to cybersecurity platform CertiK.
Wrench attacks accounted for at least $40.9 million in confirmed losses in 2025, but the value could be much larger due to unreported incidents, according to CertiK.
France recorded the biggest number of attacks last year, with 19 confirmed incidents, while Europe accounted for about 40% of all attacks globally in 2025.
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