Overview

• David Balland, co-founder of Ledger, and his companion were kidnapped on January 21, 2025, from their residence in Méreau, with a severed finger video sent as part of a cryptocurrency ransom demand.
• Balland was released on January 22 after being held in Châteauroux, while his companion was found tied in a vehicle trunk in Essonne the following day.
• On April 10, 2025, a 26-year-old suspect, already imprisoned for another kidnapping case, was indicted and incarcerated for his alleged role in this abduction but denies being the mastermind.
• Seven additional individuals, including six men and one woman aged 20 to 40, have also been charged with extortion, money laundering, and other crimes tied to the kidnapping.
• The case underscores the growing threat of organized crime targeting high-profile figures in the cryptocurrency industry, prompting extensive law enforcement efforts led by Junalco and the French Gendarmerie.