Overview
- Public trackers logged roughly 60–65 physical coercion cases in 2025, with analysts warning the true figure is higher due to underreporting and misclassification.
- Recent cases include an $11 million home invasion in San Francisco and federal charges over an alleged $8 million kidnapping targeting a Minnesota family.
- High-profile incidents featured extreme violence, from the kidnapping of Ledger co‑founder David Balland in France to a Vienna murder tied to withdrawals from the victim’s wallets.
- Risk analysts say hardened exchange security, rising asset values, and the liquidity of digital assets are pushing criminals to focus on individuals and physical crypto touchpoints such as ATMs.
- Law enforcement is mounting cross‑border responses, with arrests in France and suspects detained in Ukraine, while security firms forecast further growth and increased use of local proxy gangs.