France’s Interior Minister, Bruno Retailleau, summoned several cryptocurrency company executives on Friday, May 16, 2025, in a bid to ease their concerns following a wave of kidnapping attempts targeting individuals linked to the digital asset industry in the country.

In his official statement, Retailleau outlined a series of rapid actions to respond to the threats. These include police security checks at the residences of crypto executives, special briefings for them and their families by elite tactical police units, and plans to establish a dedicated emergency response channel specifically for the crypto sector.

Retailleau emphasized his determination to “put an end to the relentless attacks targeting crypto asset professionals, just as robbers once targeted banks and jewelry stores,” he stated.

This meeting followed a recent attempted kidnapping involving the child and grandchild of the CEO of crypto exchange Paymium in Paris earlier this week. The incident took place in broad daylight but was ultimately unsuccessful. A few weeks prior, the father of a crypto-wealthy individual was also kidnapped in Paris and released two days later.

Although such kidnappings involving crypto figures have occurred in other countries, the recent surge in domestic cases has heightened concern among French industry players. Over the past few years, the crypto sector in France has rapidly developed into one of the most vibrant in Europe, driven by supportive government policies and the presence of major local companies such as Ledger—a Paris-based hardware wallet firm valued at €1.3 billion in its latest funding round.

Creation of a Special Task Force

Retailleau also plans to create a task force that will collaborate with crypto industry stakeholders to tackle these issues. He highlighted the need to improve asset-tracing capabilities and to draft best-practice guidelines tailored specifically to the crypto industry. Additionally, police officers will receive advanced training on how to handle crypto-related money laundering cases.

The French crypto community was shaken earlier this year when David Balland, a co-founder of Ledger, and his partner were kidnapped from their home. They were held captive for two days, during which Balland was physically assaulted to force a ransom payment in cryptocurrency. A portion of the funds was later frozen and recovered.

Eric Larchevêque, another co-founder of Ledger who received the ransom demand, expressed his shock and fear. Following the attempted abduction of the Paymium CEO’s family this week, he again voiced his concern on platform X, calling the attackers “borderless criminals.”

“Today, being successful in France—whether in crypto or any other field—makes you a target,” Larchevêque wrote. “And what are we told? That we should keep quiet. That we must hide. That it’s our fault.”

Call for Stronger Protections

Ahead of the meeting with Retailleau, Paymium issued a statement urging French authorities to implement “stronger protective measures for individuals working in the crypto business ecosystem.”

At least two other crypto-related incidents have been reported in recent months. According to newspaper Le Parisien, there was a failed attempt to kidnap a tax consultant near Dijon in an effort to access his digital wallet. Additionally, on New Year’s Eve, the father of a crypto influencer was kidnapped near the Swiss border and was rescued by police two days later.

Similar incidents have also been reported in other countries, including Belgium, Estonia, Canada, Malaysia, and Hong Kong.