During Paris Blockchain Week 2026, Minister Delegate Jean-Didier Berger announced preventive measures in response to the wave
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◎ Multiple-sources
Including the launch of a dedicated prevention platform, according to JDD.
Key facts
- According to the National Directorate of the Judicial Police, as cited by JDD, 41 kidnappings or attempted abductions linked to cryptocurrencies have been recorded in the country since January 1, 2026
- A total of 135 such incidents have been documented since 2023, making France the global epicenter of the phenomenon and accounting for nearly 80% of European cases
- During Paris Blockchain Week 2026, Minister Delegate Jean-Didier Berger announced preventive measures in response to the wave, including the launch of a dedicated prevention platform, according to JDD
- The two arrested, identified as Mateo V., born in 2010, and Walid H., born in 2009, both residents of Pantin in Seine-Saint-Denis, were found carrying a fake handgun, zip-tie restraints
Summary
The wife of Sebastien Borget, co-founder and chief operating officer of The Sandbox, a blockchain-based virtual world built on Ethereum, was reportedly targeted in a kidnapping attempt at the couple's home in Villenoy, Seine-et-Marne, France, this week. Two suspects have been arrested, but four others remain at large, according to French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche. The report said a single individual arrived at the property disguised as a deliveryman, wearing a branded vest and carrying a cardboard box. Neighbors, alerted by the victim's cries, intervened and forced the group to scatter. Four suspects reportedly escaped in the vehicle.