Criminalized attacks on cryptocurrencies in France: the wrench phenomenon intensifies

France continues to be a scene of violent crimes related to digital assets. On Monday evening, in Manosque, in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department, three masked criminals stormed a private residence located on Chemin des Cerisiers, brandishing firearms and assaulting a woman to steal a USB stick containing data related to her partner's cryptocurrencies.

The specific incident

According to the French newspaper Le Parisien and confirmed by ChainCatcher, the three attackers threatened the victim by pointing a gun at her face and violently hitting her. Despite the physical assault, the woman managed to free herself within a few minutes and immediately contacted authorities. The local criminal investigation department promptly launched an investigation in collaboration with the Regional Directorate of the National Police. Fortunately, the woman did not sustain serious injuries.

A concerning trend

This incident is just the latest manifestation of a broader issue. Jameson Lopp, Chief Technology Officer of the security company Casa, documented over 70 cases of physical violence directly linked to cryptocurrencies worldwide in his public database. France emerges as one of the most critical fronts in Europe, with over 14 recorded cases, turning into an epicenter of this type of digital crime.

Expert David Sehyeon, a cybersecurity consultant, explained to Decrypt the reasons for this concentration: “The baseline crime rate in France remains high. At the same time, the wealth in cryptocurrencies owned by investors, entrepreneurs, and public figures is easily identifiable, and the growing local understanding of digital asset markets has created ideal conditions for opportunistic assaults and organized crimes in the cryptocurrency sector.”

The wrench— a term that refers to this category of armed robberies—poses an increasingly structured threat to those holding significant amounts of cryptographic assets in France and beyond.