According to the Minister of the Interior of France, Laurent Núñez, since this year France has recorded 77 cases of kidnapping, illegal detention, extortion and attempted kidnapping related to the encryption industry, which is significantly higher than 45 in 2025. The French Government is expanding its security protection programme for the digital asset industry, focusing on early warning, intelligence-sharing and cross-border collaboration.
The number of cases continues to rise
Núñez stated that law enforcement had arrested approximately 200 people in post-incident or preventive operations. He also mentioned that, following a recent case in Som province, suspects were arrested within eight hours.
At the same time, he indicated that 724 industry practitioners had registered for the Immediate Identification Platform, an increase of 11 per cent over the previous period. Such arrangements are designed to help the police to identify and respond more quickly in emergency situations.
The new programme focuses on three interventions
France ' s new plan focuses on three main areas:
- Strengthening information-sharing, especially for external organizers
- Closer cooperation with the French Association for the Encryption Industry, Adan
- Strengthening sectoral synergies and cross-border enforcement
Núñez indicated that some of the persons suspected of planning the attack might be outside France and that there was a need to broaden the scope of international cooperation. For its part, France is also planning to establish a network of experts, comprising professionals and government officials, to improve early warning and response efficiency.
Heads and families are targeted.
In the past year, there have been several cases of violence against individuals in the encryption industry in France. In January 2025, David Balland, a co-founder of the hardware wallet company Ledger, was abducted and demanded a ransom for the use of encryption. The French media said that the case was accompanied by serious acts of violence.
Since then, the target has been further extended to the families of the traders. In June 2025, the French prosecution indicted 25 persons for their involvement in the attempted kidnapping of the encryption industry and their families. Suspects are between 16 and 23 years of age, and many cases involve theft of vehicles, disguise of courier signs and recruitment through social platforms.
The attack stopped after the Moroccan capture.
Recent French responses include raids, preventive inspections and cross-border police cooperation. In June 2025, Moroccan law enforcement arrested Badiss Mohamed Amide Bajjou in Tangiers. The French prosecution accused him of playing a key role in various kidnapping schemes, including the Balland case.
Núñez stated that the attack had suddenly ceased after the Moroccan capture. He did not, however, disclose the full details of the new programme, but merely indicated that it would exceed the previous measures.
Additional information:According to the latest statements by French officials, such cases are no longer considered as a separate security issue, but are being dealt with in parallel with the two lines of security protection for organized crime and the encryption industry.