French authorities have successfully rescued the father of a cryptocurrency entrepreneur, who had been kidnapped in Paris. The man, whose identity remains undisclosed, was abducted on Thursday morning by four assailants wearing ski masks, taken to an Airbnb roughly 20 kilometres from the city, and held for two days before the police intervened. Tragically, he was found to have suffered the severance of a finger during his captivity, which the kidnappers documented in a video sent to his son along with ransom demands reaching millions of euros.
Following the rescue operation, five suspects aged between 23 to 27 were apprehended by law enforcement. This incident is part of a worrisome trend of kidnappings linked to cryptocurrency, with a notable rise in such cases across France and nearby regions.
In a similar case earlier this year, David Balland, a co-founder of Ledger, a prominent cryptocurrency wallet company, and his wife were kidnapped from their home. During their ordeal, Balland’s finger was also cut off, and a video of the gruesome act was sent to his business partner alongside ransom demands. Additionally, in December 2024, the wife of crypto influencer Stéphane Winkel was abducted in Belgium but was eventually rescued following a police pursuit.
The situation raises questions about the potential connections among these crypto-related kidnappings. Guillaume Farde, an internal security expert, discussed the apparent commonalities in the methods employed by the criminals, although he cautioned that it is up to investigators to determine whether the same group is responsible for all cases.
The Paris Prosecutor’s office has launched an in-depth investigation into this latest kidnapping incident, focusing on extortion by an organised gang and the potential for criminal conspiracy. The growing frequency of such violent crimes underscores a troubling intersection of crime, wealth, and the escalating influence of the cryptocurrency market.