French police arrested three suspects following a reported break-in attempt targeting the home of a senior Binance France employee. The incident, confirmed by Binance, involved armed individuals and is part of a broader rise in physical “wrench attacks” against crypto figures, with France experiencing the most such incidents globally in 2025.
Three suspects were arrested in France after a reported break-in targeting the home of a senior figure at Binance’s French unit. The company confirmed an employee was the victim of a home invasion.
Local outlet RTL, citing anonymous police sources, reported that three hooded, armed individuals attempted to enter an apartment in Val-de-Marne early Thursday. The suspects first forced their way into a neighboring apartment, demanding directions to the Binance France head’s home, before stealing two mobile phones and fleeing.
Two hours later, the three suspects were arrested during a second home invasion attempt in Hauts-de-Seine after residents alerted authorities. Authorities recovered the stolen phones and a vehicle linking the suspects to the earlier break-in.
Binance confirmed the incident but declined to identify the employee. “We are aware of a home break-in involving one of our employees. There is an ongoing investigation with the local police,” a company spokesperson stated. Yi He, co-founder of Binance, wrote that the employee and his family are safe and working with law enforcement.
The attack follows recent French police arrests linked to a separate crypto-related kidnapping. Physical “wrench attacks” against cryptocurrency investors increased by 75% globally in 2025 to 72 verified cases, according to cybersecurity platform CertiK. These attacks accounted for at least $40.9 million in confirmed losses last year.
France recorded the highest number of these attacks globally in 2025, with 19 confirmed incidents. Europe accounted for approximately 40% of all such attacks worldwide last year.
