Overview

• French police have detained 24 individuals linked to a series of cryptocurrency-focused abduction schemes, including the most recent attempt near Nantes.
• January’s violent abduction of Ledger co-founder David Balland saw kidnappers sever his finger while demanding a multimillion-euro ransom.
• Mid-May efforts to seize Paymium CEO Pierre Noizat’s pregnant daughter and young grandson in Paris were repelled by a neighbour and passersby.
• Investigators say organized gangs recruited minors via social media to carry out daylight abductions with ransom demands of €5 million to €7 million in cryptocurrency.
• Security specialists advise industry figures to limit public displays of wealth and adopt measures such as multisignature wallets, time-delayed withdrawals and social recovery protocols.