In 2025, crypto crime took a violent turn.
Physical attacks aimed at stealing cryptocurrencies, known as “key attacks”, increased 75% from the previous year, with 72 confirmed incidents worldwide, according to a new report from CertiK.
The report marks last year as a turning point where physical violence became a core threat to crypto holders.
In this context, wrench attacks describe scenarios where victims are forced, often through the use of violence, to hand over private keys. The report documented a 250% increase in physical assaults, including home invasions, kidnappings and even murder.
Europe now accounts for over 40% of all such incidents globally, up from 22% in 2024, according to the report. France led with 19 reported attacks, more than twice as many as in the United States. CertiK attributes this increase to organized criminal groups increasingly targeting known crypto holders in France, Spain and Sweden.
In some cases, criminals forced their way into victims’ homes. In others, they targeted spouses, children or elderly parents to force cooperation. So-called “honey pot” schemes, where attackers build fake romantic relationships to stage assaults, are also featured in the data.
Behind the violence are apparently improvements in digital security, which increase the cost of hacking. However, threatening someone with a weapon still works. The report calls this “the technical paradox”: stronger technology but the same fragile human layer.
With over $40 million in confirmed losses, and likely far more unreported, CertiK warned that personal security is now part of the crypto risk equation.
The cryptocurrency space has been working on solutions that include insurance. Some well-known companies, including insurance giant Lloyd’s of London, have started offering their customers cover that includes wrench attacks.



