Passers-by in Paris helped thwart a daytime kidnapping attempt involving the daughter and grandson of a French cryptocurrency executive, in a dramatic attack caught on camera. The incident, which occurred on Tuesday morning in the city’s 11th district, is the latest in a troubling pattern of violent attacks targeting members of France’s growing cryptocurrency industry.
According to police sources cited by French news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP), four masked men assaulted the woman, her partner, and their child. Video footage shows three of the assailants leaping from a white van disguised with Chronopost delivery branding. The couple fought back as screams for help rang out.
Speaking to BFMTV, a witness recounted that the attackers attempted to “pull a young woman by force” into the van. During the struggle, the woman managed to disarm one of the attackers and toss the weapon into the street. BFMTV later reported that the gun was fake.
The commotion drew the attention of bystanders, including one who intervened with a fire extinguisher. “I saw passersby saying to stop. A man went out into the street with a fire extinguisher to try to make these people leave,” a witness told BFMTV.
Unable to complete the kidnapping, the attackers fled. Three assailants jumped back into the van while the fourth, believed to be the driver, drove them away. Another witness told BFMTV, “I went out into the street and saw this man lying on the ground with a pistol next to him, quite bloody.”
After the attack, bystanders helped the victims, who were all taken to the hospital with light injuries, according to BFMTV. The woman, reportedly five months pregnant, was treated for shock. Her partner had visible facial injuries.
AFP confirmed that the woman targeted is the daughter of the CEO and co-founder of Paymium, a French cryptocurrency exchange.
In response to the attack, Paymium issued a statement urging authorities to “immediately adopt measures to reinforce the protection of collaborators of companies in the cryptocurrency ecosystem.” The company thanked France’s Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau for agreeing to meet with Paymium to “further discuss all these matters.” The firm added that it was “extremely saddened” by the attack and extended support to the victims’ families.
Retailleau also announced plans to hold discussions with cryptocurrency entrepreneurs to address security concerns across the sector, AFP reported.
No arrests have yet been made in connection with the incident. The Paris prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation into attempted abduction, kidnapping or arbitrary detention by an organized gang, aggravated violence, and criminal association.
Meanwhile, Chronopost denied ownership of the van used in the attack. “Noting the absence of vehicle theft within our company fleet and given the non-compliant markings visible on the images of the vehicle used, everything suggests at this stage that we are dealing with an impersonation of our brand,” the company stated on X.
This incident follows two other recent attacks on crypto figures in France. On May 1, the father of a cryptocurrency entrepreneur was abducted in Paris and held for ransom. He was rescued on May 3, missing a finger. Police arrested seven suspects, though two were later cleared.
In another high-profile case in January, David Balland, co-founder of French crypto firm Ledger, and his wife were kidnapped and mutilated. Authorities freed them during a police operation. Although part of the €10 million ($11.2 million) ransom was paid in cryptocurrency, BFMTV reported that “almost all of the cryptocurrency was traced, frozen, and seized,” citing the public prosecutor.
As threats against crypto entrepreneurs escalate, Tuesday’s foiled kidnapping underscores growing concern about the safety of those involved in the digital currency space in France.
