Physical attacks targeting people with cryptocurrency holdings reached 52 verified incidents in the first half of 2026, according to blockchain security firm CertiK, as criminals continued to use violence, threats and coercion to gain access to digital assets that are often protected against online theft but vulnerable under physical pressure.
The attacks, commonly known in the industry as “wrench attacks,” occur when criminals force a victim to hand over wallet credentials, unlock a device, reveal a recovery phrase or approve a transaction. CertiK said the number of reported cases slowed in the second quarter compared with the first, but the overall level of violence and extortion remained high across several regions.
Financial exposure linked to these incidents rose sharply. CertiK said stolen funds and ransom demands tied to physical crypto attacks climbed to $124 million in the first half of 2026, up from $10.5 million in the comparable previous period. That represents an increase of more than 1,000% year over year.
Western Europe accounted for most of the documented activity. France reported 33 of the 52 verified cases, making it the largest concentration of incidents in the dataset. Across Europe as a whole, CertiK recorded 39 cases, showing that the region remained the main hotspot for reported physical attacks on crypto users.
The report also pointed to a major change in how these crimes are being carried out. Criminals are increasingly targeting victims at home, rather than relying mainly on kidnappings, street-level robberies or attacks in public places. Home invasions connected to cryptocurrency theft rose from one documented case in the first half of 2025 to 20 in the same period this year.
The shift underscores a growing security problem for people whose digital wealth can be identified through public records, social media posts, leaked databases, business filings, conference appearances or online profiles. Unlike many online hacks, wrench attacks do not require technical skill to break encryption or exploit software. They rely on fear, physical force and the fact that a person may be able to authorize a transfer under pressure.
CertiK said the attacks bypass traditional digital safeguards because the victim becomes the point of failure. Hardware wallets, passwords, two-factor authentication and cold storage can protect against remote hackers, but they may not stop a criminal standing inside a victim’s home and demanding access at knifepoint or gunpoint.
The findings add to concerns that cryptocurrency-related crime is no longer limited to online fraud, phishing, smart contract exploits or exchange account takeovers. As digital assets have become more valuable and more widely discussed, some criminals appear to be treating crypto holders like targets for conventional robbery and extortion.
Home invasions become the main concern
The rise in home intrusions was the clearest operational shift in CertiK’s first-half data. Attacks inside private residences are especially serious because they put family members, children, housemates and neighbors at risk, not only the person believed to control the assets.
In earlier cases, wrench attacks were often associated with abductions, ambushes outside offices, assaults after crypto events, or robberies that occurred after criminals identified a victim in public. The latest pattern suggests attackers are spending more effort finding where targets live and choosing locations where they believe victims can be isolated.
That approach can increase pressure on victims. A person confronted at home may be more likely to comply quickly if relatives are present or if the attackers threaten other people in the property. Home environments also give criminals access to laptops, hardware wallets, mobile phones, backup devices and written recovery phrases that may not be carried in public.
CertiK’s report warned that visible ownership of digital wealth can create physical risk. People who discuss large crypto holdings online, display expensive purchases, run public crypto businesses or link their identity to wallet activity may become easier for criminals to identify.
The danger is not limited to high-profile founders or wealthy traders. The combination of public data and digital footprints can expose people who may not consider themselves public figures. Property records, company documents, social media photos, domain registrations, leaked customer information and old forum posts can create a map of a person’s location, habits and possible wealth.
Europe remains the center of reported cases
France stood out in the report, with 33 verified attacks in the first half of the year. CertiK did not say that France was the only country facing the threat, but the figure made it the largest concentration by far among reported cases.
The broader European total of 39 incidents means three-quarters of the verified attacks occurred in Europe. That concentration may reflect a combination of factors, including reporting levels, law enforcement visibility, population density, the number of crypto-related businesses and the presence of high-profile digital asset communities.
It may also show how quickly criminal methods can spread once they appear to work. If one group successfully extorts crypto from a victim, similar tactics can be copied by other groups or local offenders. Because blockchain transactions can move funds quickly and across borders, attackers may believe they have a short window to extract value before police can intervene.
Still, physical attacks are not confined to Europe. CertiK’s reference to activity across multiple regions shows that the threat is international. The tools needed to plan such crimes are not limited by geography. Criminals can gather information online, coordinate through messaging applications and recruit people locally without being in the same country as the victim.
Why wrench attacks are different from online hacks
Most cryptocurrency security advice has long focused on digital defenses. Users are told to avoid phishing links, verify smart contracts, keep private keys offline, use hardware wallets, avoid seed phrase photos, and separate hot wallets from long-term storage.
Those steps still matter. But wrench attacks create a different kind of problem because they target the person rather than the software.
A private key can be mathematically secure, but the person who controls it may be physically vulnerable. A multisignature wallet can reduce some risk, but only if no single victim can approve a large transfer alone. A hardware wallet can protect against malware, but it does not help if an attacker forces someone to unlock it. A hidden recovery phrase can protect against online theft, but it becomes a liability if criminals search a home.
This is why security specialists often describe physical coercion as one of the hardest risks to manage. It requires a mix of digital custody planning, personal privacy, household security, emergency procedures and behavioral discipline.
CertiK advised people to limit public information that connects them to cryptocurrency holdings. The firm also recommended separating wallet access tools, recovery phrases and signing devices so that no one location contains everything needed to move funds. It urged users to strengthen household security, coordinate emergency plans with family members and avoid using travel devices to access sensitive accounts.
Public data can make targeting easier
The report’s findings highlight how personal information can become a security issue when combined with visible crypto wealth. Criminals do not always need sophisticated blockchain tracing to choose a target. In many cases, they can start with ordinary online information.
A person may reveal too much by posting about profitable trades, sharing screenshots of wallet balances, naming the city where they live, showing a car outside a house, tagging locations, or linking a personal identity to a crypto business. Public records can add more detail. Property filings, company registrations, professional directories and court documents may expose home addresses or business locations.
Leaked databases can make the risk worse. Stolen customer lists, old exchange account data, hacked email records, phone numbers and delivery information can circulate on criminal markets. If a person’s name appears in a leaked crypto-related database, criminals may assume that person owns valuable assets, even if the assumption is wrong.
That makes privacy a practical security measure, not just a preference. Reducing the amount of public information tied to a real-world identity can make it harder for criminals to confirm where someone lives or whether they are worth targeting.
For people with meaningful exposure to digital assets, basic steps may include reviewing public social media posts, removing unnecessary location details, using business addresses where legally appropriate, requesting privacy protections for property records when available, and limiting the public connection between personal identity and wallet activity.
Custody planning becomes a physical safety issue
The increase in wrench attacks also raises questions about how people store and control crypto. Keeping all assets accessible through a single hardware wallet at home can create a dangerous point of failure if criminals break in.
A safer approach often involves making it impossible for one person, in one place, under immediate pressure, to move the bulk of the funds. That can mean using multisignature arrangements, geographically separated keys, time-locked systems, institutional custody services, or withdrawal policies that require multiple approvals.
Bank safe deposit boxes or secure vault services may play a role in protecting parts of a custody setup, such as backup devices or recovery materials. However, they are not a complete solution by themselves. The key point is to avoid storing every required signing tool and recovery phrase in the same home.
Licensed custodians may also reduce personal physical risk for some traders, especially if the structure prevents immediate withdrawals under duress. If a victim cannot move assets alone, criminals have less reason to believe that violence will result in an instant payout. Still, custody choices involve trade-offs, including counterparty risk, legal structure, access controls and fees.
Some users also maintain decoy wallets with small amounts of cryptocurrency, though that practice carries its own risks and should not be treated as a guarantee of safety. The broader goal is to reduce the reward available from a single forced action.
Mail, deliveries and daily routines can expose locations
Physical security also extends beyond wallet storage. Criminals may use ordinary routines to confirm where a person lives or when they are home. Deliveries, mail, ride-hailing patterns, social media check-ins and repeated travel habits can all create signals.
Using a post office box or commercial mail receiving service may help separate deliveries from a home address, especially for people who receive crypto-related hardware, business mail or expensive electronics. Where allowed, a company mailing address can also reduce the visibility of a private residence, provided it is used legally and consistently.
Household security measures can include cameras, alarms, stronger locks, better lighting and clear procedures for unexpected visitors. But technology alone is not enough. Family members and staff should know what to do if someone attempts to enter the property, impersonates a delivery worker, claims to be from a utility company or asks unusual questions about the resident’s work.
Travel behavior also matters. CertiK warned against using travel devices to access sensitive accounts. A phone or laptop carried through airports, hotels, conferences and public networks is more exposed to theft, surveillance and coercion than a device kept in a controlled environment.
Crypto wealth remains a visible target
The rise in financial exposure to $124 million shows why criminals may continue to test these methods. When digital assets trade at high values, a successful attack can produce a large payout quickly. That economic incentive remains a challenge for law enforcement and for the crypto community.
Unlike traditional assets, cryptocurrency can often be transferred at any hour and across borders without the same friction as bank wires or securities transactions. While blockchain records are public and can help investigators trace funds, that does not always prevent an attacker from moving assets through multiple wallets, bridges, mixers or over-the-counter networks before authorities can respond.
The growing use of physical coercion also complicates the public image of crypto security. A wallet may be technically secure, but personal safety depends on privacy, planning and real-world risk management. For traders, the message from the latest data is that protecting digital assets now requires more than protecting private keys from hackers.
CertiK’s first-half report suggests that the threat has entered a more personal and more dangerous phase. The number of verified cases, the sharp rise in financial exposure and the surge in home invasions all point to the same conclusion: criminals are increasingly willing to bring cryptocurrency theft offline and directly to victims’ doors.
Concerned about rising physical crypto risks? Strengthen your defenses with these essential crypto safety tips today.
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