Three masked men tied up a couple in their 60s and demanded cryptocurrency at their Mont-de-Marsan home early Thursday, in the second of two crypto-linked home invasions in France’s Landes region since August. Investigators believe the intended target was their son, who works in the crypto sector and has been placed under police protection.
Key takeaways
- The Mont-de-Marsan attackers stole a laptop and mobile phone.
- Police believe the couple’s crypto-sector son was the intended target.
- CertiK counted up to 33 of 52 global wrench attacks in France during the first half of 2026.
A second crypto-linked home invasion in Landes
The Mont-de-Marsan assault follows an August case in Rion-des-Landes, where attackers kidnapped a couple at home and demanded access to their bitcoin. The Bayonne judicial police are investigating the Mont-de-Marsan attack.
What happened inside the Mont-de-Marsan home
The intruders entered at around 3 a.m., woke the couple and restrained them with adhesive tape and plastic zip ties. During the assault, one attacker hit the 63-year-old husband on the back of the head with an adjustable wrench.
The men left with a laptop and a mobile phone. Afterward, the couple called police, and firefighters took them to hospital for checks. Officers recovered tools used in the assault.
Investigators focus on the couple’s son
Authorities believe the couple’s son was the intended target because of his work in cryptocurrency. He lives at a different address and is now under police protection.
During the previous Rion-des-Landes incident, authorities found the husband unclothed and wounded in Solférino, whereas his wife was located inside a car parked nearby; following the arrest of two suspects, the case was handed over to the Bordeaux interregional jurisdiction.
Crypto home invasions in France form part of a wider crime wave
France recorded 77 crypto-related kidnapping, extortion or attempted-extortion cases in the first half of 2026, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said. The total exceeded the 45 cases recorded throughout 2025.
Interior Minister reports about 200 arrests
Nuñez also reported approximately 200 arrests connected to crypto-related crimes during the first half of 2026. His figures cover kidnapping and extortion cases rather than home invasions alone.
Wrench attacks involve physical violence used to force victims to surrender digital assets. The Mont-de-Marsan assault involved both a demand for cryptocurrency and a blow with an adjustable wrench.
CertiK points to wealth displays and data leaks
Blockchain security firm CertiK counted up to 33 attacks in France out of 52 wrench attacks globally during the first half of 2026. It attributes the prevalence of these crimes to the size of France’s crypto sector, public displays of wealth and data leaks exposing personal information.
A data leak affecting the French tax authority in 2026 exposed records belonging to 678,000 taxpayers, including names, addresses and income figures.
Article produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence and reviewed by the editorial team.