France Logs 77 Crypto Kidnappings, Extortions, Minister Says

France has recorded 77 crypto-linked kidnappings and extortion cases since January, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said. He presented a security plan he described as more ambitious to protect digital asset holders. The 77 cases include both completed crimes and attempts, he said.

Nuñez did not disclose the total value stolen or the number of arrests made so far. The plan includes closer cooperation with exchanges and faster freezing of stolen assets. He also announced dedicated investigation units within the police.

The country has one of Europe's more developed crypto trading scenes. Exchanges including Binance and Coinbase operate locally. The financial markets regulator, the Autorité des Marchés Financiers, already requires digital-asset service providers to register and follow anti-money laundering rules. Registration does not address the risk of criminals using leaked personal data or social media to identify targets, Nuñez said. Criminals often track victims through public blockchain data or social media, he added. The new plan aims to close that gap.

Nuñez said most of the 77 incidents involved coercion: victims forced to transfer crypto at gunpoint or under threat of harm to family members. A smaller share involved kidnappings where captors demanded crypto ransoms. He did not provide a regional breakdown.

European police have stepped up scrutiny of crypto-related crime. Europol's 2024 report warned that crypto-linked violence had increased alongside the value of digital assets. French police have run public awareness campaigns advising holders to keep holdings private and avoid flaunting large balances. The dedicated investigation units will have training on blockchain tracing and crypto seizure procedures, Nuñez said. Each unit will consist of officers with expertise in blockchain analysis and crypto seizure, he added. They will work alongside existing cybercrime squads.

The 77-case figure is a reminder that crypto asset security involves both wallet hygiene and personal safety. The French plan includes a dedicated hotline for victims and a protocol for exchanges to freeze funds within hours of a police report. The freeze protocol requires exchanges to respond within four hours of a formal request, Nuñez said. He added that the protocol would be tested in the coming months, with the response time between a report and asset freeze potentially dropping to under six hours. The hotline will be staffed by officers with expertise in crypto investigations.

The plan was developed in consultation with crypto exchanges and the AMF, he said. France's approach mirrors moves in the UK, where authorities tightened stablecoin rules partly to reduce criminal use. The difference is that French authorities are now treating physical coercion as a separate threat, distinct from cyber theft or fraud. The minister said the plan also covers extortion attempts that never result in a transfer, cases where victims lock down wallets before the attacker gets access.

France's crypto regulation has been gradually tightening. The AMF's licensing regime has been in place since 2020, requiring exchanges to verify identities and report suspicious transactions. Nuñez said the licensing rules have helped reduce financial crime. They do not address physical threats. The AMF is moving toward a full licensing regime under European Union rules set to take full effect by 2026. The security plan is separate from that regulatory shift and addresses a parallel concern. European authorities have been pushing for more consistent crypto crime enforcement, and the French plan aligns with those efforts, Nuñez said.

The rise in crypto-related physical crime mirrors trends seen in other European countries, including the Netherlands and Spain, he said. Nuñez did not set a target for reducing the incidence of such crimes. He said the new measures would be reviewed after six months. The review will assess whether the measures have reduced the number of incidents.