In brief
- CertiK verified 52 “wrench attacks”—physical coercion of crypto holders—worldwide in the first half of 2026, up from 39 a year earlier.
- Recorded financial exposure jumped nearly 12-fold to $124.1 million, from $10.5 million in H1 2025.
- Europe accounted for 75% of cases, with France alone responsible for 33 of the 52 incidents.
Violent, real-world attacks on crypto holders are escalating fast, and the money at stake has ballooned, according to a new report from blockchain security firm CertiK.
The firm verified 52 “wrench attacks”—incidents in which criminals use violence or threats to force victims to hand over crypto—in the first half of 2026, up by a third from 39 a year earlier. Recorded financial exposure climbed…
