Several figures in the crypto industry in France have been targeted by violent kidnappings, especially family members of leaders such as those from Paymium or Ledger.
Bruno Retailleau brought together security forces and crypto representatives to implement an unprecedented emergency plan.
The plan includes physical protections (home visits, RAID briefings), centralized cyber monitoring, a priority hotline to 17, and police training on digital assets.
Interior Minister Collaborates with Crypto Industry after Multiple Kidnappings
In France, the crypto world is under pressure. Kidnapping attempts, violent extortions, threats to families: criminals now target web3 actors just like they did with luxury jewelers or banks in the past.
Facing this escalation, Bruno Retailleau convened an emergency meeting on May 16, 2025, at the Ministry of the Interior with all state security apparatus and crypto industry representatives.
A State Response to a Wave of Targeted Violence
The timing is no coincidence. On Tuesday, the daughter and grandson of the Paymium president narrowly escaped a kidnapping attempt. Since the beginning of the year, several industry figures have been attacked: a crypto millionaire’s father in May, and a Ledger co-founder and his wife, whose kidnappers cut off a finger to obtain their access.
Retailleau has displayed an unequivocal stance:
Ces attaques insupportables seront combattues avec des outils spécifiques pour prévenir, dissuader et neutraliser.
Translation: the Republic is raising the shield.
Immediate Concrete Measures Deployed
In the coming days, unprecedented protection protocols will be activated:
- Home security evaluations for the most exposed profiles, conducted by the police and gendarmerie.
- Specialized briefings provided by elite RAID, GIGN, and BRI units for entrepreneurs and their families.
- Direct access to 17, with a priority line for industry professionals in case of emergency.
- Centralized cyber monitoring, ensured by ComCyberMI to anticipate digital and physical threats.
- Enhanced training for law enforcement on money laundering techniques via crypto assets.
The Association for the Development of Digital Assets (ADAN), also present, will coordinate prevention campaigns and contribute to the working groups set up by Beauvau.
An Industry Under Threat, Yet United
This meeting marks a turning point: the official recognition of a systemic risk weighing on crypto entrepreneurs. As digital assets increase in value, key holders become targets. For the first time, the French state is acting decisively to offer them a protective framework befitting a strategic sector.
The counterattack is underway. The question remains whether it will withstand increasingly violent and organized threats, or if security in France is already truly compromised.
