A family in northern France was attacked at home after four people broke into their property in Vendin-le-Vieil, with investigators looking into a possible connection to the father’s work in cryptocurrency.
The attackers restrained the man, his partner and their two children during the overnight raid. The children are 8 and 12 years old. The father was assaulted, and his daughter was also attacked, according to a source close to the investigation.
Police are trying to establish what the intruders wanted and whether they were attempting to obtain cryptocurrency.
Police Probe Possible Crypto Connection
BFMTV reported the attack on Sept. 20, citing a police source familiar with the investigation. The four suspects entered the family’s home in Pas-de-Calais and left after restraining the occupants.
The father called emergency services at around 8 a.m. Sunday. The suspects were gone before police arrived.
There is still little public information about them. Authorities have not released descriptions or said how they entered or left the property.
Le Parisien subsequently reported that around €40,000 may have been involved. That amount was not included in earlier reports, which also did not establish that cryptocurrency had actually been taken.
Police have not identified the cryptocurrency allegedly sought in the raid. It is also not known whether the father held the assets himself, through an exchange or with another service.
For now, the crypto connection remains part of the investigation rather than an established fact. No prosecutor statement reviewed for this report has announced charges.
Crypto-Linked Violence Rises in France
The attack comes against a backdrop of other violent incidents involving people connected to cryptocurrency in France.
The National Gendarmerie said in July that it had recorded 77 crypto-related kidnappings and unlawful detentions since the beginning of 2026. In an update published Sept. 12, the agency said incidents of this kind were occurring approximately every two to three days.
Separate figures from France’s National Organized Crime Prosecutor’s Office counted 135 related incidents between 2023 and mid-April 2026. Of those, 47 had been recorded during 2026 by that point.
The Gendarmerie counted 18 such incidents in 2024 and 67 in 2025.
Authorities have also raised concerns about personal information being exposed online. Details such as a person’s identity, home address or cryptocurrency holdings can potentially help criminals locate people believed to have access to digital assets.
Other French Cases Involved Crypto Demands
The Vendin-le-Vieil attack is not the only recent case in which cryptocurrency has featured in an alleged home invasion.
Earlier in September, an armed group reportedly entered a house in Alès and restrained a couple while demanding cryptocurrency. Their young child was inside the property. The suspects reportedly left after neighbors alerted police.
A similar incident was reported in August in Rion-des-Landes. Attackers allegedly targeted a couple while seeking Bitcoin and other digital assets. Two suspects were later arrested in connection with the case.
French police have made arrests in other kidnapping investigations involving cryptocurrency.
In March, 12 people were charged following an operation involving more than 450 officers. The investigation concerned the kidnapping of a Swiss national in France in 2025. Authorities said the kidnappers demanded cryptocurrency.
Five more people were arrested in March over the December 2024 abduction of the father of a cryptocurrency influencer. That investigation also involved people suspected of targeting individuals connected to digital assets.
Wrench Attacks Extend Beyond France
The pattern is also being seen outside France.
Chainalysis reported that more than $30 million was taken in violent attacks targeting crypto holders around the world during the first half of 2026. Home invasions represented 37% of the publicly documented incidents in its dataset.
These crimes are often referred to as “wrench attacks.” Instead of exploiting a blockchain or cryptocurrency platform, criminals use physical force or threats to make victims hand over their assets or provide access to them.
CertiK recorded 72 confirmed physical attacks against crypto holders in 2025. Its figures showed a 75% increase from the previous year, while physical assaults, including home invasions, kidnappings and killings, rose 250%.
Europe represented more than 40% of the incidents tracked by CertiK. France accounted for 19 cases in its dataset.
Police Seek Answers in Vendin-le-Vieil
Investigators have not released many details about the latest attack.
There has been no disclosure of wallet addresses, suspect descriptions or information about a vehicle that may have been used by the intruders. Authorities have also not confirmed that a cryptocurrency transaction took place.
If investigators establish that digital assets were transferred, blockchain records could provide a trail of the funds after the attack. Digital evidence could also be used alongside conventional police work to identify the suspects.
At this stage, police are still trying to determine why the family was targeted and whether the father’s involvement in cryptocurrency was a factor. The alleged €40,000 loss and any cryptocurrency transfer remain subject to the investigation.
