Crypto Wrench Attacks Hit $101M in 2026's First 4 Months

Global losses from cryptocurrency "wrench attacks" reached $101 million in the first four months of 2026, with Europe bearing the brunt of the violence, according to Web3 security firm CertiK. The 34 documented incidents nearly doubled the $52.2 million lost over all of 2025 and marked a sharp increase in frequency.

Wrench attacks involve physical coercion, such as home invasions, kidnappings and extortion, to force victims to surrender access to their digital assets. CertiK verified 34 such cases worldwide since January, with 82 percent, or 28 attacks, occurring in Europe. France emerged as the epicenter, recording 24 incidents according to CertiK, though the National Prosecutors Office for Organized Crime reported a higher total of 47.

The surge reflects a shift toward Europe from previous hotspots in Asia and North America, CertiK noted. France's prominence stems from its concentration of cryptocurrency executives and companies, including Ledger, Paymium and Binance. Contributing factors include data breaches, such as the January incident at accounting firm Waltio, and allegations against tax official Ghalia C for selling holder information to criminals. A culture of publicly...