11 Crypto ’Wrench Attacks’ Signal Rising Physical Threats to Crypto Holders

Eleven reported “crypto wrench attacks” this year mark a shift from digital-only theft to physical coercion of cryptocurrency holders. Most incidents occurred in France and involved criminals using surveillance, social engineering or leaked personal data to identify targets, then threatening victims to surrender private keys or seed phrases. The article links the concentration in France to recent data breaches (including alleged leaks from tax authorities and Waltio’s 2025 hack exposing 50,000 customer records). Security experts describe a common attack pattern—identification, confrontation, coercion, asset transfer—and warn that many cases go unreported. Responses include joint law-enforcement task forces, national safety guidance (France, Germany, UK, Japan), personal protection services, insurance products for coercion losses, and nascent wallet duress features and multi-signature strategies. Legal systems are adapting—some courts treat compelled private-key disclosure as robbery of intangible property—while challenges persist around cross-border investigations and irreversible on-chain transfers. Recommended mitigations for holders: maintain discretion about holdings, use multisig and duress/decoy wallets, distribute assets geographically, avoid public meetup patterns, and consult security professionals. The trend raises market-security concerns: physical targeting adds a human-risk layer that complicates asset custody and could deter high-net-worth participation unless coordinated technological, legal and personal-security measures improve.