Crypto Violent Heists Exceed $30 Million in 2026, France Becomes a Hard-Hit Area
TechFlow News, August 6, according to The Block, data from blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis shows that violent robberies targeting cryptocurrency holders in the first half of 2026 have caused over $30 million in losses. If the trend continues in the second half, the annual scale will exceed the historical peak of $58 million in 2025. France has become the global hotspot for "Wrench Attack", with 30 public cases recorded in the first half of 2026, while the French Minister of the Interior stated that actual cases exceed 70.
Chainalysis attributes this to the 2024 French tax authority data breach incident—a tax official was suspected of stealing and selling the names, addresses, holdings, and tax records of high-net-worth crypto holders, leading to a surge in attack frequency from a monthly average of 1.9 cases in 2025 to a monthly average of 4.6 cases in the first half of 2026. Attack methods have also deteriorated, with cases targeting family members rather than the holders themselves accounting for more than 40% of cases in France, and the proportion of home invasions rising from 14% in 2025 to 37%. Stolen funds are usually quickly moved on-chain, partially laundered through tools such as decentralized exchanges and cross-chain bridges, and advanced criminal networks are even linked to cartel money laundering and terrorist financing channels.
