88 Indicted in France Over Crypto Wrench Attacks Including 10 Minors

[tradelikepro]

French authorities have indicted at least 88 people in connection with a wave of violent attacks targeting cryptocurrency holders, with the country's national prosecutor for organized crime Vanessa Perrée confirming that 75 of the alleged offenders are currently held in pre-trial detention. The indictments relate to 12 active cases being investigated by specialized judges at the Paris Judicial Court and monitored by the National Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime. Notably, 10 of those indicted are minors — a detail that underscores how broadly these criminal networks have been recruiting participants. The charges include arrest, abduction, organized group sequestration, extortion, and attempted extortion, with Perrée describing the incidents as particularly serious both for the harm caused to individuals and the coercive methods used to force crypto asset transfers.

The scale of the problem in France has grown dramatically in a short period. PNACO recorded 18 wrench attack incidents in 2024, 67 in 2025, and 47 already in 2026 — a trajectory that puts this year on pace to surpass last year's total before summer. The acceleration mirrors a global trend: blockchain security company CertiK reported a 75% increase in physical crypto attacks worldwide in 2025 compared to the previous year. French investigators have merged several cases after identifying individuals involved in multiple incidents, revealing the existence of structured criminal networks rather than isolated opportunistic attacks. Investigations are continuing with the goal of identifying all perpetrators and instigators, tracing financial channels, and dismantling the networks entirely.

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The Pavel Durov allegation about tax data giving criminals a ready-made target list of French crypto holders is the most operationally dangerous detail in this story — if verified, it means the state inadvertently created the infrastructure for these attacks.