Crypto wrench attacks top $30M in 2026 first half: Chainalysis

Chainalysis identified the alleged misuse of French tax records as the likeliest driver of the surge. A French tax official reportedly accessed and sold information about crypto investors to criminals. A separate breach at crypto tax-reporting firm Waltio reportedly exposed data on about 50,000 users.

The report's clearest read-through for the sector comes from that pattern. Any platform that matches a person's name to a crypto balance, tax-reporting services and exchanges included, becomes a source of leads for attackers.

Chainalysis described the tradecraft as "amateur at the point of violence," with professional work at the selection and laundering stages. Victims were often chosen through data leaks and insider information; social media posts served as another common source of leads, the report said. Onchain activity varied in sophistication. Some attackers sent stolen funds to centralized exchanges. Others used bridges or decentralized exchanges, and the most advanced cases showed links to broader criminal networks.

The findings expand the risks crypto holders face beyond custody and asset management, into physical safety and home security, the report said.

Separately, Spanish authorities arrested a suspect in the 2025 kidnapping of a Ledger co-founder.