Wrench attacks on cryptocurrency holders caused $40.9 million in losses in 2025, representing a 75% year-over-year increase in the number of incidents.

According to CertiK data, there were 72 violent attacks against cryptocurrency holders globally in 2025, a 75% increase year-over-year. Confirmed financial losses exceeded $40.9 million, a 44% increase year-over-year. Europe became a hotspot for such crimes, accounting for 40% of the global total, with France leading with 19 attacks. The report indicates that kidnapping was the most common attack method, with physical attacks increasing by 250%. A major incident last year included the kidnapping of Ledger co-founder David Balland in France, who was extorted for €10 million in cryptocurrency. CertiK recommends users mitigate risks by maintaining decoy wallets, geographically isolating mnemonic phrases from hardware wallets, and using multi-signature architectures.