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In a scene straight out of a crime thriller, masked assailants tried to abduct a well-known crypto tycoon's daughter on the busy streets of Paris on Tuesday morning.
Nabil, who intervened when a masked gang attempted to kidnap the daughter of a crypto businessman, talks to the local media at Rue Pache street, in Paris, France. (Reuters Photo)
UPDATED: May 15, 2025 05:16 IST
A masked gang attempted to kidnap a crypto CEO’s daughter in Paris but failed after a shopkeeper intervened. It's the latest in a series of violent attacks targeting crypto wealth.
In a scene straight out of a crime thriller, masked assailants tried to abduct a well-known crypto tycoon's daughter on the busy streets of Paris on Tuesday morning — only to be thwarted by a sharp-witted shopkeeper armed with a fire extinguisher.
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT French prosecutors are investigating after a masked gang tried to kidnap the daughter of a crypto businessman in Paris in what is the third violent attack targeting wealthy crypto players and their families in recent months https://t.co/odaLJa9QuS pic.twitter.com/AgcJplBVlp— Reuters (@Reuters) May 14, 2025
The harrowing attack — caught on camera by a passerby and widely shared on social media — shows three masked men struggling with two individuals in front of an empty getaway van in the 16th arrondissement of the city. The attackers eventually gave up and drove off with their hands empty.
A Parisian shop-owner who intervened has been hailed as a hero. According to witnesses, he charged at the attackers with a fire extinguisher, buying enough time to disrupt the kidnapping.
The intended victim, identified in local French media reports as the 34-year-old daughter of a CEO behind a cryptocurrency trading platform, was with her partner at the time. French prosecutors have opened an investigation into the attempted kidnapping, though they declined to confirm the identities of those targeted.
According to the authorities, this is at least the third such attack targeting crypto-linked families in France in recent months. “Kidnapping gangs appear to have identified wealthy French crypto players as easy targets,” Reuters reported.
On May 1, the father of a French crypto player was kidnapped for ransom in Paris. He was rescued by police days later but had been tortured, including the loss of a finger.
In January, one of the co-founders of Ledger, a major French crypto company, was also kidnapped for ransom along with his wife. He also lost a finger before being rescued.
Meanwhile, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said he would meet with French crypto entrepreneurs to make them aware of the risks and to take measures to protect them.
President Emmanuel Macron was visiting two jails in northern France on Wednesday as part of a commitment to tackle rising organised crime, which has boosted support for the far-right.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Published By:
Aashish Vashistha
Published On:
May 15, 2025
