![Annual losses from violent digital asset crimes. [Chainalysis]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/08/07/news-p.v1.20260807.911f26b8a0bc41bbbd900579ee01004c_P1.png)
Losses from so-called "wrench attacks" — physical assaults and threats used to steal digital assets directly from their owners — exceeded $30 million in the first half of this year, as crypto-related crime increasingly spills from the online world into real-life violence.
According to a report on violent digital asset crime released Friday by blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis, more than $30 million worth of digital assets were seized through wrench attacks worldwide in the first half of this year.
If the trend continues, full-year losses are expected to surpass last year's record of $58 million. The figures count only assets that criminals successfully seized. The actual scale of harm could be larger when accounting for cases where forced transfers were blocked, ransom demands were made, or funds were frozen.
A wrench attack refers to a crime in which a digital asset holder is assaulted or threatened into surrendering their holdings. The method exploits a defining feature of digital assets: individuals manage their own wallets and private keys.
Chainalysis also found evidence that personal data leaks have led directly to targeted, physically violent crimes. The report said that in 2024, a civil servant at France's tax authority faced charges of stealing and selling records containing the names, addresses, asset holdings and tax information of high-value digital asset holders.
A wave of violent incidents targeting digital asset holders followed in France, with at least 30 publicly reported cases in the first half of this year alone. France's Interior Ministry said it would establish rapid-alert systems and protective measures for high-risk individuals.
Attacks involving the kidnapping or intimidation of victims' family members and acquaintances are also on the rise. As of January, such cases accounted for 25 to 30 percent of all incidents globally, and exceeded 40 percent in France. The share of home invasions among all violent crypto crimes also rose sharply, from 14 percent last year to 37 percent in the first half of this year.
Kwon Jun-hyeok, head of Chainalysis Korea, said the findings show that crimes targeting digital asset holders are no longer confined to the online environment but are spreading into real-world safety threats. "As personal data leaks become intertwined with physical crime, it will become increasingly important to combine on-chain analysis with traditional investigation techniques," he said.
He added that Chainalysis supports law enforcement agencies in more effectively tracing fund flows and identifying links to organized crime through objective blockchain data analysis.
Meanwhile, Chainalysis Korea provides criminal fund-flow analysis to domestic investigative agencies. According to a digital asset crime report the company published this year, illicit digital asset transactions last year totaled at least $154 billion.
kyoung@heraldcorp.com
