Key Takeaways:
Binance launched ‘Withdraw Protection’ on May 4, offering users a provision to block outgoing transfers for 1–7 days. Physical coercion attacks on crypto holders rose 75% in 2025, per Certik. France has recorded 47 crypto wrench attacks in 2026 already, with 88 suspects charged, including minors. How The Feature WorksUsers who want the option to cancel early can pre-enable a bypass setting before activating the lock, but without that setting, no one can move funds off the platform during the active window, including the account holder.
One important caveat, however, is that the lock does not shield accounts from law enforcement orders, and since it is enforced by Binance’s systems rather than cryptography, users are trusting the platform’s infrastructure rather than a self-sovereign security mechanism.
A Growing Physical Threat
