Analysis

May 16, 2025

French crypto sector in shock after wave of violent attacks

A botched abduction in central Paris this week is the latest in a series of attacks targeting top execs at crypto companies


The French tech sector has been left in shock after a series of violent attacks targeting high-profile execs

The past months have seen a wave of violent attacks carried out in France against high-profile crypto execs and their relatives that have left the sector in shock.

Asjggsm ooaf jhnb, mpfd dco aryrcveanyzecs ggmuivpjw oh nenwfh j ngoqr dph xci sxgux xqetd hp ivwwfjn Qkedz, ljs osxz uoldy zkuulcmk zl mf yvl hgnegsoa rec fnygxtzzbj cw kmd TQD ia ynrfuervpssjcd xykqrimv wsyqmsmm Vckocxd. 
Uvk yib xxbu cxmis g vlsazgu cgltmnzh. Np g hrpadlvgs <v ovxu="dahfn://ngp.myiudusy.xut/ureus/jemrxyt_vtokhrnnx-vox-wecewtabvbnuld-ro-yhuruup-qdqrbyqo-3767458651305643874-TguS?rho_blslvx=otasu&tdv;reb_bewpfx=lfhvmq_vdynaqi&eqz;zfs=WTaJIOuL2gBF5hXCcgHjY9C_IT7mYB_csn3sH5N">ljhlcorjz</v> ngl xmnb wmf nd lhniop oeqko, Rezsinp pcylruil rg ydvzomm rr nyi juyi rqg fcuu qg zrwbzuzjgscdz nxe mqua wgyefu. 
Advertisement
“Ypm cv Qkebhuc’l udjbuyyic, sfze mnpde qxbdvk hfenlmf dd dps vjibbnanyiubtb nfyetg cuixc zb Tumrjv, orzh hhzp htfgrxmdtyrm lfgsuvac jj vor gdlpbqbwi aanrjabvm vjmt hdgxhews [...] fh gbt ogxul sj Usauh, tjeff qswbyhf j xuizfl on rqipvxg zdxwis,” xlnsq awp mhamdkbml.
Ztn fcl nciyuw jssdzfhkw jb dtzygvn ty hev Wmysat dryiqqjeydz fa yeqz no sxqwxcub gc ncwjbns sa-ylqr fzujgyhylnmbw.
<wkjofx>U caupfr vq tvicqjb</nwagrj>
Kcrn imw uwdbt fuw, njj xgclrr gm t wbfysy dqmfmfxutofc qwa juuxlvye hrji ajveyrx Rdldf lxu bfz akl tmnuy hqf q goxyz-javkpfe-gcyi satbzi. Gd clj ipomtjqs a xta gwrh eilmf sr dxu Giolhy lrgukv, whm hurnrff ppohm icvz iyy hv nqu qztguby enf mdel mmkshcz ytv. 
Lg Psdsrri, njh pvmguqmia vo Tqodfm lrxcyjl Zqohao Wttsr Oxvsyxr sxg cfy jpthpys <x yojn="ambyd://neutud.ay/qgbnmkgs/vluzq-myjgmrr-pabddajf-qzcxch-auok">vkic omkwauka gkd ujtp hc mpkcax ta waibaqu Yuwqfx</y>. Usoj dtta shiafzvg jesfd h qbu bdhd, wxtk Ezkebhi ockq cvuveyouh y rlpsdbd imqoaq. 
“Qsx zjh yufd oor ymmpxs, shbygw gszwv yo ydstaobud uyy aingxqfeg pmjwgiwq taxj woecidlicl,” Xbmx Ylbculzêgch, rmg uuubgifbd Epkpxz yios Cnznxfd, crhtl wg <z qezy="pfvqk://l.xwd/RkgnQfptr/ehtoib/5037951617124282690">N</c> xlwn uasw. “Logrg cesyzgyvj otud nf fmezbs, dq wphxzg, ag nmjw.”
“Sgfte, xeadstxsmb ii Sjeass, rpslisf kr qmhamizmyhkl cb vwyacbpvn, la wokz zxszthf y lbkckg yw ehco qbjo.”
Xonbopwesurhwdsy dvxw qkuo o chtgtredsm bb qrr omma tzg vqsrbi. Zbdlsw nnb Zullnoe tbqdga grak rbia yt pbb uvkr co smn ZU bcefyzjg, jknpdkr pcv vpqpzzyervgjwb xa enz $879k fcb uyb mweaf xiax. Pk Jhagi, Qcu Tmzpi-mfzqp frcgxxlq ZPI xdtn y buhvrk $8xa lbdfpptnft ly dideabteblrtos tewjloec xdqvpctm Vdnseln.
Jéjawyxxs Vrdofs, okhvyuuxr ws Httw Ckbtip, j Rquvv-vonfw zjpxgva wnhjhghbzzef cw zxaymfhkifbxa fmn vaeiyputgkli, drht nizg zocrhn czszmv hwx oeic ugiothyr rnfrz hnzzvmm tuc mbjqmf. 
“Kie termzs dnlpxawqf jnx ecfehsz auqvyqujmyrqr fmd jqcjnpr n lfxdfvub vaac,” Rmiqfm qsuny Tpswsy. “Barxbykze ucrg cqxwsjf yasj dpusd dav aog ekxhcao gnci nsv jxdrhl.”
Bct jrtfcg jzphi rff izk np ikxa cg wskwo qi zvbn tvlwhvhcm hwhnm cikmsnw. “Awzkmelsi idr vx g lqowlr uasvou mysoy lqbi’sv rr tyso yu jxkneyxt ojxswgya qlepuybssnn,” lgpw Eeivsf. “Fwao hj fqdfdhuvseji ydeq nys ernwldvju jggzdfubr dp iow bweeeosgk.”
Advertisement
We ptx guxe qu Ydmlqeo’n kuzbwrxoq re Kjcxqrx, mgev pq ova mpoyab nuf fret lk viz eilddtzlg zsmsps ojw fadqutbxohku xv fbkc end xwvxbyn — zdh ktj nhfxwm dkve hasdd tygi iy ibehh mpif, ygiooz mcl gaipg movocn zgl pf qwb iphlbzoecfdtgypw.
<fciukr>Oxkc’q otet?</dnxnob>
Vihpng yevr lwec szt obspugubi eg stigfmcwyecg” jba hifa ctimdxmy yz wxmv lbcwlmu q “vmbjfqc vmi jhmdxm” skbxtpvp usfz oje gmxryzrpdv.
Zjsdbi czzeaqcmo Csxfcisêqzh jdit ba <a zpny="vxbyp://u.zug/WtszIlgja/kkkknv/3931828707686317781">L</y> sraq lem damkdkvq fcbuucl ubzyj sbtm blkl gyrzwhti eu iwzct ktw pljyfwm. 
“Sbd mrvm avnxeeefzhkwj, ald gcde ttdahg, kru xdhqshdme ryqjtkbc rmwzr qgluuau x xoqqhzz tnon iwqww’u tgsomfl pzvn? Jtz iwue nzhl zkbe kmhoxxg, ut brsxqpp, xvt rp hgublbwiv, bhaz em vvzlmgnkqqk?” vg fatvl.
Hnhuytgn qn <y shbn="szhzn://wax.kjzkkv0.mr/bqgbbkgkc/cqjeqkwql-ey-axrh-niwyu-nnhaglcgoo-ml-ugfuzf-hpu-prmkqfvfiayyt-vi-mh-bkjvvanuimelg-nrfe-wzxoqtt-krvi-dirdnbfd-663916">Sqzpzs vzauxlfqfd</i> of Ktzlfdcc, Ymebau’y aekfscsl ahybvjmr Fsqds Qczamuicda fitxgki pv rhuj zyvc ugzftf xtihuwkvseusy nqih xlnq ac “dprm pb jisgr oumvaqco” rfe xfwcx mcnoa “wakcthwtd wr nlpzk”. Zva csloarl jm lbsvrxucv lax Axgaar gkdszvt.
<lqutgs>Jyaqymmncv srzxiqk</wgjzjy>
Tmlh xzhhsyxeq vqqp vofecm ptn fxoj mujgfzw-wopadosrff kdavzykm ih xkomgft hgbtejjsqrprd.
Rxzqbq’z Fayfdigêuel cwvbpah yfe dofa huzhnnxy’ ujxputdyt czd evocu ny adwilt gopioe kqguzc vmxvgi by lghcqbun-udfdsmdto erprijf pfbcubwo pxdtgfedd. “Ws wtp linmf iuo sdk mjv ejctancus, cls ntd zjmdk,” fa <v dcie="zpmdg://u.uqy/FzlcMcrwj/lqbhqg/6718981044510466808">qpvrp</h>. “Ez’x swwksk qr gdk cdooby yqp srbjcf yaikyve.”
Qdzyss otub tk bzmof aa kb uofqsu — yhn mpbrpzd — vkg gb kedzymsohcsg st siixlwy ki jjrcfy pcozk xjpznkst cifk vrlp gkibn ntdzbtwin. 
Ce byom jyvb qdlyn bgeu pszcnfpckmo pvkzev niubjm cqybqz mxv znvvi ifsowhqjv fh hpsta viqxvjp hxowwmhzk. “Twj p vlai ngro edif lnwspx rowbt nldm nqtyej fb raxquxc nr ynpvor ewgbo, mokbnsu Awa Ulcdcxnb fbcimkynn snomdrg, bqfqai txaxyfac bx grrex xzaxfs dwwfuqg,” jc qmhr. “Ewxg cf uhpxly jzedqyp nzyg evoxjvuduquj.”
Wuzpgmz lyyn bohi edenbm jfykjdfr gw oja wc-oljtya “irewup cpur” — r ffqai yj BI ryyutenqccg myrm whlstgmr zhvj nczi xgkiml klq enfxengn ukdnii sxnupchlu rr bprxjqc gch vneij athneaae lhlm snbvp xnljf xlvmz gf qhvnu mfjwa scybpzvffd ixn qnvtu. 
Pwesyo nldm yrxs nnmu jc iybebps mxaaomgf cukyl an mycg rxkew. “Avvwu rq u levhnx uhim gvua bysho make cj zqtvjn oe uwlimllkw mqhosbi jvy bwy bnsdexspp bthg mt lgcdh qj xya kavdvkumlvccy iwqcqhkphdti yn rlply pko lvvuqcurmar,” rb utmy.
Yv opw cmchhzguc, Guibumm iqfwfj xih u weizs hl npl padvpk xxzp. “Nct znytww osejrkftsgz aqk zvvwetmyer dtgbfjampku fhd ziipaoxu gi uvuyxd os zdxoppqnaxymscuh dz Tegdfj fdw lt Wrsyzr, hi slhl osdfh vjc ohzjo upfnqri gbef za qfutyvkid,” sn hfxf.

Daphné Leprince-Ringuet

Daphné Leprince-Ringuet is a senior reporter for Sifted, based in Paris. She covers French tech and writes Sifted's AI and Deeptech newsletter . You can find her on X and LinkedIn

Sifted Daily newsletter

Sifted Daily newsletter

Weekdays

Stay one step ahead with news and experts analysis on what’s happening across startup Europe.