French Minister of the Interior Laurent Nuñez announced a new security plan to protect cryptocurrency professionals following a sharp rise in violent crimes targeting the sector.
Key Takeaways:
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said France saw 77 crypto-related kidnappings and extortions so far in 2026.High-profile 2025 hits on targets like Ledger’s David Balland fueled widespread fear across the industry.The Interior Ministry and Adan will launch an ambitious 3-pronged plan to track foreign crime syndicates.The figure marks a sharp increase from the 45 incidents reported in all of 2025. Speaking at an event hosted by the Association of Digital Asset Holders (Adan), Nuñez sought to reassure industry members, describing the ministry’s updated strategy as “more ambitious” than previous efforts.
Under the updated framework, authorities plan to expand intelligence sharing to better track criminal networks, many of which operate outside France. The ministry will also work with Adan to build a network of experts linking state security officials with private‑sector stakeholders.
