Crypto crime is going offline.
According to the latest “Skynet Wrench Attacks Report” by blockchain security firm CertiK, there’s a troubling rise in attacks using physical violence, intimidation, or coercion to steal digital assets. These attacks, called “wrench attacks” against cryptocurrency holders, force them to surrender their private keys or passwords.
Between 2024 and 2025, there was a 75% jump in wrench-attack crimes, with a 250% surge in physical assaults. In total, there were 72 of these cases in 2025, but CertiK notes these are only the ones that authorities know about. The report’s authors believe these could represent just the “tip of the iceberg” due to underreporting. (1)
Even with this available…
