French authorities have officially charged 25 individuals, including six minors, for their suspected involvement in a series of attempted kidnappings targeting figures within the cryptocurrency industry. The case has garnered national attention, especially because it involves the families of high-profile crypto personalities.

According to a Le Monde report on Saturday (May 31, 2025), the Paris Prosecutor’s Office stated that out of the 25 suspects, 18 have been placed in pre-trial detention, three requested delays for their hearings, and four are under judicial supervision. The suspects are aged between 16 and 23, with most born in France, while three others hail from Senegal, Angola, and Russia.

The investigation is currently centered around the attempted abduction on May 13, 2025, which targeted the daughter and grandchild of Pierre Noizat, CEO of the Paymium crypto exchange. During the incident, four masked individuals assaulted Noizat, his pregnant daughter, her husband, and their child in the Paris region. All three victims sustained minor injuries and were rushed to a hospital. Footage of the event went viral on social media.

Authorities also revealed that another kidnapping attempt took place a day earlier, along with one foiled attempt near Nantes last week. Through these operations, over 20 suspects were arrested.

Ambroise Vienet-Legué, the attorney representing one of the 18-year-old suspects in the Nantes case, stated that the perpetrators were “very young individuals lured by money and caught up in situations beyond their control.”

Meanwhile, a CoinDesk report revealed that the individuals carrying out the acts were likely local executors hired by a Southeast Asian criminal syndicate. They were allegedly paid around US$10,000 for each kidnapping they executed.

Crypto Becomes a New Target for Physical Crimes

Kidnapping related to cryptocurrency is not a new phenomenon in France. Since the start of 2025, several similar incidents have taken place, beginning with the abduction of David Balland, Co-Founder of Ledger, along with his partner in January 2025. The couple was tortured, and even had fingers severed, which were used as leverage for ransom negotiations.

The May 13 attack and the Nantes incident are also believed to be linked to a kidnapping on May 1, 2025, which involved the father of a French crypto billionaire. These repeated cases indicate that wealthy individuals in the crypto space are increasingly being targeted by organized crime groups.

The escalation of such violence prompted France’s Interior Minister, Bruno Retailleau, to hold a special meeting with stakeholders in the crypto industry last month. The session focused on developing strategies to enhance physical security for industry participants who now face growing threats from criminal actors.