French crypto IT specialist and family held hostage in robbery

A family in Vendin-les-Vieille, France, was held hostage by four masked men who broke into their home on Sunday. The father, an IT specialist in the crypto industry, was beaten and forced to transfer approximately 46,000 USD in cryptocurrency. The suspects remain at large, and the case is being investigated as organized kidnapping and extortion. This incident follows a trend of over 70 crypto-related kidnappings in France during the first eight months of 2026.