A celebrated French artist and cryptocurrency champion has found a rather convenient scapegoat for the rise in crypto-related kidnappings across France: the French government. How utterly original!
Pascal Boyart, the artist in question, took to the ever-so-reliable X (formerly Twitter, for those still clinging to their nostalgia) to lavish his criticism upon the state, following reports of a disturbing uptick in those charmingly named “$5 wrench attacks” sweeping the country.
“The French government is 100% complicit,” declared Boyart, with all the drama of a Shakespearean tragedy. “They’ve rendered the judicial system completely ineffective and introduced KYC (Know Your Customer) as ‘kidnap your customer.’ It’s part of their war against crypto.” Ah yes, the war on digital currencies-surely a battle fought with the utmost sophistication!
French Artist Blames Government For Surge In Crypto Wrench Attacks
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A long-time Bitcoin supporter
Pascal Boyart has been a tireless advocate for the marriage of art and blockchain technology. And by tireless, I mean he’s been shouting about it for years, and who could blame him? It’s the perfect combination of intellectual rebellion and avant-garde posturing.
As reported by U.Today (because who else would report this ground-breaking exhibition?), Boyart organized the “Bitcoin Art (r)Evolution” in Paris back in 2018. Yes, the world’s very first global art exhibition entirely dedicated to Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. How could we have lived without it?
Boyart has long hailed blockchain technology as the panacea for all that ails the art world-mainly, the stifling control of the traditional banking system. Because, clearly, the banking system’s biggest crime is its lack of transparency, especially when it comes to funding avant-garde artists.
“Wrench attacks” in France
Boyart’s dismay, however, stems from a new and rather gruesome trend: the physical violence aimed at those with significant digital wealth. Apparently, the solution to cracking crypto security is not hacking, but rather an old-fashioned beating.
For the uninitiated, a “$5 wrench attack” is a delightful little phrase that refers to using physical violence to extract private keys or passwords from a victim, bypassing the need for any pesky digital expertise. It’s the 21st-century version of a medieval knight demanding tribute, but with fewer horses and more cold, hard violence.
France, as it turns out, has become the epicenter of this delightful crime wave. Authorities are currently dealing with around 40 cases of organized crypto kidnappings, all taking place between 2023 and 2025. And not to spoil the plot, but many of these crimes involve international criminal masterminds-because, of course, every criminal plot worth its salt requires a remote kingpin.
The method of selection for these victims is as modern as one would expect: social media, digital footprints, and data leaks. If you have crypto wealth and a Facebook profile, congratulations, you’re a target!
In the past year, several high-profile individuals have had their lives disrupted by these charming attacks, including Ledger co-founder David Balland. Because nothing says “a job well done” like kidnapping people for their cryptocurrency, right?
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2026-04-08 00:31