Does Crypto Make You a Target? The Emerging Physical Risks of Digital Wealth

Cryptocurrency has transformed how people invest, store wealth, and build financial independence. With the rise of Bitcoin millionaires, NFT collectors, and DeFi users, digital assets have gone mainstream—and public attention has followed. 

But as crypto ownership becomes more common, so do the threats. What was once a purely digital concern is now a real-world risk. From home invasions and SIM-swap attacks to high-profile kidnappings, crypto holders are increasingly being targeted offline. 

Unlike traditional wealth, cryptocurrency is portable, irreversible, and largely unregulated—qualities that make it appealing to criminals. There’s no fraud department, no flagged transactions, and often no way to recover stolen funds. This lack of oversight has enabled everything from ransomware to terror financing. 

Blockchain activity may be traceable, but that rarely deters attackers. If they can access your cold wallet or force a transfer, it’s the modern bank heist—fast, direct, and hard to undo. As digital assets grow in value and visibility, so does the need for discretion and protection. Crypto wealth may live online, but the threats it invites are very real. 

Crypto Crimes Are on the Rise 

As cryptocurrency becomes more mainstream, a disturbing pattern is emerging: a rise in physical attacks, kidnappings, and home invasions targeting crypto holders. These crimes—often referred to as “wrench attacks”—involve coercing victims into surrendering wallet access or seed phrases through violence, threats, or prolonged captivity. 

Here are some recent and deeply troubling cases that illustrate the threat: 

• New York City, May 2025: Crypto investor John Woeltz was arrested for kidnapping and torturing a 28-year-old tourist from Italy inside a Manhattan townhouse over a span of three weeks, seeking his Bitcoin password. When police searched the property, they found Polaroids documenting abuse, a firearm, and various tools used for restraint. 

• Philippines, March 2025: Businessman Anson Que was lured to a house and taken hostage. Attackers demanded $20 million in crypto and received over $3 million in multiple tranches but killed the victim and his driver anyway. 

• France, January 2025: David Balland, co-founder of the crypto wallet company Ledger, and his partner were abducted from their home by assailants demanding a €10 million ransom. During captivity, Balland had one of his fingers severed to pressure compliance. The victims were later rescued by police, and multiple suspects were arrested. 

• United States, 2024: A gang led by Remy Ra St. Felix orchestrated a series of violent home invasions across multiple states, targeting individuals known to hold crypto. In one case, an elderly couple in North Carolina was beaten and forced to hand over $150,000 in digital assets. The crew used physical intimidation and beatings to extract wallet access before being apprehended and convicted. 

These physical threats are emerging alongside a broader surge in digital crimes involving crypto, including: 

• Ransomware attacks: In 2024, ransomware inflows rose to approximately $459.8 million, with the largest single payment ever recorded at approximately $75 million to the Dark Angels ransomware group.  

• Online extortion schemes: Crypto scams likely reached an all-time high in 2024, driven by the rise of scams and the use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), with total revenue from crypto scams estimated to be at least $9.9 billion. 

In both cases, cryptocurrency serves as both the bait and the getaway vehicle—an unregulated, easily movable store of value that can be claimed with a single phrase or keystroke.

These trends underscore a sobering reality: digital assets may be virtual, but the risks surrounding them are all too physical.  

How Crypto Ownership Makes You Vulnerable 

Cryptocurrency offers freedom from banks, middlemen, and traditional financial gatekeepers. But that very freedom comes at a cost—especially when it comes to personal security. For attackers, crypto represents the perfect combination of high value, low risk, and instant payoff. 

Here’s how owning digital assets can put you at greater risk: 

1. You Might Be Easier to Track Than You Think

Public blockchains like Bitcoin and Ethereum are fully transparent. While wallet addresses don’t include your name, they do record every transaction—permanently and publicly. If that address ever becomes associated with your identity—through a centralized exchange (which requires ID verification), the purchase of a personalized NFT, or even by sharing it on social media, such as through a screenshot or screenshare—then your entire wallet history becomes traceable. 

For example, if you tweet your Ethereum address to receive an NFT or accept payments, anyone can plug it into a blockchain explorer like Etherscan and see exactly how much crypto you hold, when you received it, and where it's gone.  

Once a wallet is connected to your real identity, your net worth becomes visible—and so does your value as a target. 

2. Crypto Can Be Transferred Under Duress

Unlike bank accounts that require multi-step verification or have built-in fraud alerts, crypto can often be transferred in seconds—especially when stored in a mobile wallet or easily accessible device. For criminals, this makes it far more appealing than trying to coerce access to a brokerage account or cash. 

Some investors use cold wallets—offline storage solutions like hardware devices or paper wallets—to protect their funds from online threats. Because these wallets aren’t connected to the internet, they’re far less vulnerable to hacking or phishing. But even cold wallets can be compromised in a physical attack if you're coerced into revealing your passphrase or recovery seed.

3. There's No Fraud Department to Call

Crypto's decentralized nature means there's no authority to reverse a transaction, freeze an account, or help you recover lost funds. Once your assets are gone, they’re gone. That permanence, combined with the potential anonymity of the recipient, creates a perfect environment for extortion and force.

4. Criminals Know the Risk-Reward Balance Favors Them

For attackers, the payoff is potentially enormous—and the barriers are low: 

• No physical bank to break into 

• No insider access needed 

• No paper trail if precautions are taken 

All they need is your passphrase, seed phrase, or wallet password—and in some cases, they’re willing to use violence to get it.

5. Social Sharing Makes You Visible

Many crypto holders unwittingly increase their exposure by: 

• Flaunting portfolio gains on social media 

• Registering public ENS domains (like yourname.eth) 

• Discussing wallets and trades on forums 

• Participating in public-facing Web3 communities 

These behaviors provide attackers with intelligence about your wealth, habits, and vulnerabilities. When combined with doxxing or geolocation data, the threat becomes real. 

The convergence of traceable wealth, decentralized access, and a lack of safeguards makes crypto holders especially vulnerable to both digital and physical attacks. In this environment, personal security is no longer just about passwords and firewalls—it’s about protecting yourself, your family, and your digital footprint. 

The Profile of a Target: Are You at Risk? 

Not every crypto investor is equally at risk. But certain patterns, behaviors, and exposures make some individuals more appealing to criminals than others. Whether you're a seasoned trader or someone holding a few coins in cold storage, it's worth understanding what makes someone a viable target for coercion or attack. Common targets include: 

• High-net-worth individuals (HNWIs): Public-facing investors, executives, or early adopters with known or traceable holdings are prime targets for kidnap-for-ransom and home invasions. 

• Crypto influencers and public Personalities: Those who post portfolio updates, NFT purchases, or trading advice on social media may be unintentionally advertising their wealth. 

• Early adopters and long-term holders: Bitcoin and Ethereum holders from the early 2010s—especially those named in early forums or news—are assumed to be sitting on sizable gains. 

• Remote workers and digital nomads: Frequent travelers and expats without stable security setups may be more vulnerable abroad, especially in regions with weaker law enforcement. 

• Everyday investors with weak operational security (OPSEC): Even small holders can be targeted if they reuse public wallet addresses, share personal info online, or appear in data breaches.  

• Family members and household associates: Criminals may target spouses, children, or house staff, assuming they can access wallets—or be used as leverage. 

Being at risk isn’t just about what you own—it’s about what others think you own, and how easy they believe it will be to take it from you. Whether intentional or not, the signals you send online and offline can shape that perception. 

How to Protect Yourself and Your Crypto 

The threats facing crypto holders are evolving—but so are the ways to stay safe. Protection today requires more than good passwords and antivirus software. It demands operational discipline, discretion, and a layered approach to both digital and physical security. 

Here’s how to reduce your risk:

1. Use Cold Storage and Hardware Wallets

• Store your crypto offline in a hardware wallet (e.g., Ledger, Trezor). 

• Never store large amounts in hot wallets (apps, browser extensions, or exchanges). 

• Ensure your seed phrase is stored securely and physically separated from the device—ideally in a tamper-proof safe. 

2. Practice Seed Phrase Discipline

• Never share your seed phrase with anyone—not even customer support. 

• Don’t store it in the cloud, your phone, or email drafts. 

• Consider metal backup solutions to protect against fire or water damage.

3. Minimize Public Exposure

• Avoid sharing wallet addresses or transaction details on public platforms. 

• Think twice before flaunting crypto holdings, NFT purchases, or trading wins. 

• Refrain from using ENS names or usernames that tie back to your real identity or public persona. 

4. Protect Your Phone and SIM

• Use an authenticator app (like Authy or Google Authenticator) instead of SMS for 2FA. 

• Add a SIM PIN and request a carrier-level lock or port freeze to prevent unauthorized swaps. 

• Use a separate device or number for sensitive transactions, isolated from your primary identity. 

5. Harden Your Physical Environment

• Install security systems at home: alarms, motion sensors, and surveillance cameras with live 24/7 monitoring. 

• Be cautious about delivery access, unknown visitors, or repeat strangers in your vicinity. 

• If you’re a high-profile holder, consider professional residential security assessments or executive protection services. 

6. Travel Like a Target

• Don’t bring hardware wallets unless absolutely necessary. If you must, split keys or use multi-signature setups. 

• Be cautious about who knows your travel plans. 

• Use hotel safes with caution; assume staff can access them. 

• Keep devices encrypted and use VPNs on unfamiliar networks. 

7. Legal and Structural Protection

• Store assets under an LLC, trust, or custodial solution to obscure ownership and reduce personal liability. 

• Work with a security-conscious estate planner to ensure inheritance without risk of exposure. 

• For ultra-high-net-worth individuals, consider insurance and KRE (kidnap, ransom, and extortion) coverage. 

8. Train Yourself and Those Around You

• Educate family members, house staff, and business partners on OPSEC (operational security). 

• Run threat scenarios: What would you do if someone tried to force you to transfer funds? 

• Don’t assume that your precautions are obvious to others—security is only as strong as its weakest link. 

True security for crypto holders doesn’t come from a single device or tactic—it comes from a mindset. One that treats your digital wealth like physical gold: valuable, desirable, and worth protecting at every layer. 

When Digital Wealth Creates Physical Risk 

Cryptocurrency has revolutionized how we store and transfer value—but it’s also created a new class of threat. What was once confined to code and ledgers has spilled into the physical world, where wallets can be demanded at gunpoint and seed phrases extracted under duress. 

As crypto becomes more valuable and more visible, the line between cyber risk and personal safety is disappearing. Investors must begin to see crypto not just as an asset, but as a liability if left unprotected—a flashing target for anyone willing to trade violence for irreversible access. 

The tools to defend yourself exist, but they only work if they're used effectively. In this new era of digital wealth, security isn’t optional—it’s essential. 

Standing by to Support

The Global Guardian team is standing by to support your security requirements. To learn more about our security services, complete the form below or call us at + 1 (703) 566-9463