Crypto tycoon’s daughter escapes kidnapping attempt in central Paris

French police are investigating an attempted kidnapping that targeted the daughter of a crypto company CEO and her child in central Paris on Tuesday morning, according to a new report from Valeurs actuelles. The incident occurred around 8:20 a.m. on Rue Pache in the 11th arrondissement, where a 34-year-old woman walking with her 2-year-old child was approached by three masked men who tried to force her into a van disguised as a Chronopost delivery vehicle. She was later identified as the daughter of the CEO of a leading crypto purchasing platform. The assailants’ plan was foiled when the child’s father intervened, physically confronting the attackers. Despite being beaten, he managed to prevent the abduction. During the confrontation, one of the attackers dropped a handgun. Authorities have yet to confirm whether the weapon is real or a replica. The men fled the scene in the same van. Although several bystanders witnessed the attack and heard the woman’s screams, none intervened, the report said. The van was later found abandoned on a nearby street. Both the woman and her child were unharmed but visibly shaken. The Paris prosecutor’s office has assigned the Brigade de Répression du Banditisme (an anti-banditry brigade) to lead the investigation, including whether the motive was financially driven due to the family’s ties to the crypto industry. The incident adds to a troubling trend of crypto-related kidnappings and extortion attempts globally. Recent cases in France have shown a sharp rise in physical violence targeting digital asset holders. So far this year, three crypto-related kidnapping cases have been reported in France, including those involving Ledger co-founder David Balland and the father of a Paris-based crypto entrepreneur. Law enforcement agencies in multiple countries have warned that organized criminal groups are increasingly targeting individuals known to hold large crypto portfolios. In one recent case, three Florida teenagers were charged with kidnapping a crypto investor in Las Vegas , forcing him to transfer $4 million in crypto and NFTs, and leaving him in the Arizona desert. They face charges of robbery, kidnapping, and extortion, with investigations pointing to a possible fourth accomplice.