Crypto-related physical attacks—so-called wrench attacks—are on pace to hit 130 incidents globally in 2026, according to blockchain security firm CertiK. Between January and April, 34 verified cases were logged worldwide, a 41% year-over-year jump. Losses from those attacks have already reached an estimated $101 million, a figure that includes ransom payments, frozen funds, and failed demands.
Europe drives the surge
The geographic shift is stark. Europe accounted for 28 of the 34 attacks this year, up sharply from 39.5% of all incidents in 2025. By contrast, North America fell from nine cases to three, and Asia dropped from 25 to just two. The numbers leave little doubt where the threat is concentrated right now.
France sees 24 cases in four months
France alone logged 24 wrench attacks between January and April—more than the 20 recorded in all of 2025. The French Interior Ministry confirmed 41 incidents linked to physical coercion since January, roughly one every 2.5 days. That pace accelerated in January with 13 cases, compared to nine a year earlier. February saw a dip to five, which authorities attribute to the delayed effect of large-scale police operations across Europe in late January. March rebounded to ten, then April landed at five.
CertiK points to several factors driving France's spike: a cluster of flagship crypto companies, sensitive data breaches, and a culture of public wealth disclosure that makes holders easier to identify.
Attackers migrate to the human layer
The broader trend, CertiK argues, is a strategic shift. As wallet security and protocol defenses tighten, attackers are moving toward the human layer—the people who hold keys or control access. “As long as crypto-asset holdings remain associated with identifiable financial data, physical coercion will remain the economically most rational attack path,” CertiK said in its report.
The timing isn't great for an industry already wrestling with regulatory scrutiny and market uncertainty. Police across Europe have stepped up patrols and operations, but the monthly data shows violence hasn't been consistently suppressed. Whether the late-January police effect can be sustained—or replicated in other countries—remains an open question.
