TLDR
- Armed kidnappers failed to abduct daughter and grandson of Paymium co-founder in Paris
- Physical crypto attacks up dramatically in 2025, with 22 cases already versus 32 in all of 2024
- France has seen six crypto-related kidnappings this year, many involving finger amputations
- Victims in multiple countries including Brazil, Hong Kong, and China targeted for crypto ransoms
- Passers-by helped thwart the Paris kidnapping after the woman disarmed one attacker
A woman and her young child, relatives of a prominent French cryptocurrency executive, managed to escape what could have become the latest in a string of brutal abductions targeting those connected to the digital asset industry.
The incident took place Tuesday morning in Paris’s 11th district. Four masked assailants launched their attack around 8:20 local time, when three men jumped from a white van and attempted to force the mother and child into the vehicle.
Police sources confirmed the targets were family members of Paymium’s co-founder and CEO. Paymium stands as one of France’s earliest Bitcoin exchanges.
The woman’s husband was beaten repeatedly while trying to defend his family. In a moment of quick thinking, the woman grabbed a weapon from one of the attackers and threw it away, later identified as a replica air gun.
The street was busy at the time, with school children passing nearby. Though bystanders initially hesitated to help, locals eventually intervened, causing the kidnappers to abandon their attempt.
The attackers fled in their van, driven by a fourth accomplice. One brave bystander even hurled a fire extinguisher at the vehicle as it sped away.
Global Trend of Violence
This foiled kidnapping follows a disturbing pattern emerging worldwide. According to a tracker maintained by Casa CTO Jameson Lopp, 2025 has already seen 22 physical attacks related to cryptocurrency wealth.
This puts 2025 on pace to far exceed the 32 cases documented throughout 2024. The 2023 total of 24 incidents has nearly been matched in just over four months.
France has become a particular hotspot for such crimes. The country has witnessed at least six crypto-related kidnappings or attempts this year alone.
In January, Ledger co-founder David Balland and his wife were abducted from their home in central France. Reports indicate kidnappers severed one of Balland’s fingers during the ordeal while demanding cryptocurrency ransom. Nine suspects have since been arrested.
Earlier this month, French police rescued the father of a crypto millionaire who had been kidnapped while walking his dog in Paris. The victim also had a finger amputated by his captors before being freed in a police raid. Seven arrests followed.
On New Year’s Eve, criminals targeted the father of a crypto influencer in Saint-Genis-Pouilly, holding him hostage in yet another ransom scheme.
The violence extends well beyond French borders. In March, Chinese-Filipino businessman Anson Que was killed after kidnappers demanded $20 million in cryptocurrency. Authorities had already paid $3.5 million before his death.
Hong Kong has reported multiple ambushes during crypto transactions, including a recent case involving a Turkish victim. In Brazil, a Spanish businessman spent five days in captivity after criminals posing as police officers abducted him and demanded $50 million in crypto. He eventually escaped.
