Crypto Exchange CEO's Daughter, Grandson Targeted in Paris Kidnap Attempt

1 month ago

French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said helium volition conscionable with French crypto entrepreneurs to sermon however to support them.

Updated May 15, 2025, 4:32 p.m. Published May 15, 2025, 4:10 p.m.

The girl and grandson of a French crypto speech CEO were targeted successful a failed kidnap attempt, adding to the increasing fig of crypto-related kidnapping cases successful the country, France 24 reported connected Tuesday.

A video wide shared connected societal media showed the attempt, successful which 3 masked men wrestled the pistillate and different idiosyncratic to the crushed successful Paris. A store proprietor intervened, waving a occurrence extinguisher, and the attackers gave up, driving disconnected successful 2 waiting vans. France 24 identified the crypto speech arsenic Paymium.

The onslaught follows earlier — palmy — kidnappings successful the country. In January, David Ballard, a co-founder of crypto-wallet developer Ledger, was ransomed aft being kidnapped with his wife from their home. In May, the begetter of a French crypto millionaire was kidnapped and rescued days later. Four suspects were arrested astatine the time, the BBC reported. Both of the men had a digit chopped off.

Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said connected Wednesday he plans to conscionable with French crypto entrepreneurs to sermon however to support them pursuing the surge of kidnappers targeting affluent radical with crypto ties successful France. The Paris prosecutors bureau opened an probe into the attack, Reuters reported.

"These units wrong the instrumentality enforcement agencies person really been precise palmy holding immoderate of those radical to relationship successful those kidnapping cases," Chainalysis CEO Jonathan Levin said astatine Consensus connected Wednesday successful effect to a question connected the worldwide kidnapping for ransom trend. "I deliberation that the connection needs to get retired determination that these payments are traceable."

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