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Crypto crime is getting violent: ‘wrench attacks’ jumped 75% in 2026

Author: Coindesk

Source: Coindesk

2026/02/02 22:33

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Crypto crime is getting violent: ‘wrench attacks’ jumped 75% in 2026

Europe now accounts for over 40% of global incidents, with France leading at 19 reported attacks, involving home invasions, kidnappings, and targeted personal threats.

By Francisco Rodrigues|Edited by Jamie Crawley

Feb 2, 2026, 2:33 p.m.

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What to know:

Crypto "wrench attacks" increased 75% in 2025, with 72 confirmed incidents involving physical violence to steal cryptocurrencies.
Europe now accounts for over 40% of global incidents, with France leading at 19 reported attacks, involving home invasions, kidnappings, and targeted personal threats.
Losses exceeded $40 million, highlighting a new security challenge where improved digital protections are offset by physical threats, prompting some insurers to offer specialized coverage.

In 2025, crypto crime took a violent turn.

Physical attacks aimed at stealing cryptocurrencies, known as “wrench attacks,” jumped 75% from the previous year, with 72 confirmed incidents worldwide, according to a new report by CertiK.

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The report marks last year as a turning point, where physical violence became a core threat to crypto holders.

Wrench attacks in this context describe scenarios where victims are coerced, often through the use of violence, into handing over private keys. The report documented a 250% increase in physical assaults, including home invasions, kidnappings, and even murder.

Europe now accounts for over 40% of all such incidents globally, up from 22% in 2024 according to the report. France led with 19 reported attacks, more than double the count in the United States. CertiK attributes this spike to organized crime groups increasingly targeting known crypto holders across France, Spain, and Sweden.

In some cases, criminals forced entry into victims’ homes. In others, they targeted spouses, children, or elderly parents to compel cooperation. So-called “honey pot” schemes, where attackers build fake romantic relationships to stage assaults, also featured in the data.

Behind the violence are seemingly improvements in digital security, which ramp up hacking costs. Still, threatening someone with a weapon still works. The report calls this the “Technical Paradox”: stronger tech, but the same fragile human layer.

With over $40 million in confirmed losses, and likely far more unreported, CertiK warned that personal safety is now part of the crypto risk equation.

The cryptocurrency space has been working on solutions, which include insurance policies. Some well-known companies, including insurance giant Lloyd’s of London, have started offering their clients coverage that includes wrench attacks in it.

security standardCertiKCrime

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