- French police have rescued the kidnapped father of a crypto entrepreneur from a hideout near Paris
- The victim has suffered severe injuries, including the loss of a finger, during captivity
- This follows the abduction and torture of Ledger co-founder David Balland in January
French authorities have freed the father of a cryptocurrency firm co-founder after he was abducted and held for ransom. The attackers demanded millions from his son while torturing the man, who was later found with a finger missing. The case draws chilling parallels to the January kidnapping of a Ledger executive, marking a disturbing trend of crypto-linked abductions in France.
Broad Daylight Kidnap
On May 1, the 60-year-old man was abducted in broad daylight from a street in Paris’s 14th arrondissement. The kidnappers, four masked men, forced him into a vehicle and transported him to a remote house in the Essonne region, south of the capital. The victim is the father of an unnamed wealthy cryptocurrency entrepreneur, who co-founded a firm registered in Malta, with the kidnappers demanding a ransom of €5-7 million ($5.6-8 million). To exert pressure, the kidnappers amputated one of the victim’s fingers and sent it to his son.
French police launched an urgent investigation and traced the abductors to their hideout. A nighttime raid was executed on May 3 by specialized units, successfully rescuing the injured man and arresting five suspects aged between 20 and 27. Two more were detained shortly afterwards. The victim was taken to hospital for treatment and is recovering from his injuries and trauma
Worrying Pattern Developing
This brutal kidnapping follows a similar case from January 2025, when David Balland, co-founder of the crypto hardware wallet company Ledger, was kidnapped alongside his wife. The couple was held hostage in central France, and Balland also had a finger severed during the ordeal. Police freed the pair in a Groupe d’intervention de la Gendarmerie nationale raid and arrested ten suspects.
These recent crimes – and the finger severance tactic – signal a worrying trend targeting individuals in the cryptocurrency world and their families. As crypto assets become increasingly lucrative, the anonymity and personal wealth associated with the industry are making entrepreneurs high-value targets.
As a result, authorities are advising greater vigilance and private security as investigations continue into whether these kidnappings are isolated or part of a coordinated campaign.
