تهديدات التشفير IRL: أدت "الهجمات المؤلمة" المادية إلى خسائر تزيد عن 100 مليون دولار منذ شهر يناير وحده

Crypto investors have lost more than $100 million to physical extortion in the first four months of 2026, according to blockchain security firm CertiK , as criminal groups increasingly target the people behind digital wallets rather than the technology securing them. The attacks, known in the industry as “ wrench attacks, ” use kidnapping, assault, threats, or other forms of physical coercion to force victims to transfer crypto, unlock accounts, or surrender access to private keys. The tactic has become a growing concern for an industry that has spent years building defenses against phishing, malware, smart-contract exploits, and exchange breaches . CertiK said verified global incidents rose 41% to 34 from the same period last year. If the current pace continues, the blockchain security firm estimates the full-year count could reach about 130 incidents, with losses running into the several hundred million dollar range. Crypto Wrench Attack (Source: CertiK) This projection means that this year's attacks are on track to exceed those of 2025, which researchers described as the most active year on record for crypto-related physical assaults . However, security researchers and law enforcement universally acknowledge that these figures represent a fraction of the reality. The inherently traumatic nature of the crimes, combined with the victim's fear of retaliation, results in chronic underreporting. That makes wrench attacks harder to track than on-chain exploits, where stolen funds can often be traced across wallets and exchanges in real time. France becomes the center of Europe’s crypto violence Europe has become the main center of the threat this year, accounting for 82% of CertiK’s verified cases in the first four months of 2026. Reported incidents in the US and Asia have declined over the same period, leaving France as the clearest concentration of crypto-related physical crime. French authorities have acknowledged the scale of the problem. During Paris Blockchain We