Bitcoin exec warns violent wrench attacks on crypto holders have increased alarmingly in 2025

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Violent attacks targeting cryptocurrency holders are climbing at an alarming rate in 2025. Alena Vranova, founder of hardware wallet maker SatoshiLabs, sounded the alarm at the Baltic Honeybadger 2025 conference in Riga, Latvia. She told the audience that these crimes—known as “wrench attacks”—involve kidnappings, physical assaults, and extortion, all aimed at forcing victims to hand over their private keys. Vranova said that every week , at least one Bitcoiner somewhere in the world is kidnappe...