Violent robberies targeting cryptocurrency holders, known in the trade as wrench attacks, have moved from a niche concern to a live residential protection problem. The method is simple. Rather than break the encryption, attackers coerce the victim in person into handing over private keys and seed phrases, using home invasion, kidnap, restraints and threats to family members.
The trend is up sharply. CertiK recorded 72 confirmed incidents worldwide in the period reported in early 2026, a 75% rise on the prior year, with confirmed losses over 40 million dollars and the real figure likely higher. The geography matters: Europe has become the centre of gravity, accounting for over 40% of global incidents, up from around 22% in 2024. France is the worst-hit single country. French authorities logged a rise from 18 cases in 2024 to 67 in 2025, with dozens more in the first months of 2026 and scores of suspects charged.
The tactics on display are exactly what CP teams are trained for. Attackers pose as delivery workers to get to the door. They surveil the target's home and movements first. They target family members to force compliance. US indictments this year describe crews using firearms, duct tape and zip ties in coordinated home raids across multiple cities.
The operator implication is that this is a protective-security problem, not a cyber one. The exposure sits at the residence, in the daily routine, and in the digital footprint that lets a crew identify and locate a holder. For clients with significant crypto or visible wealth, the priorities are residential hardening, door and delivery protocols, varying routine, family awareness, and a hard scrub of the public information that ties a name to an address and a balance. The wallet is secure. The person is the soft target.
