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Crypto Exchange CEO's Daughter, Grandson Targeted in Paris Kidnap Attempt
French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said he will meet with French crypto entrepreneurs to discuss how to protect them.
Updated May 15, 2025, 4:32 p.m. Published May 15, 2025, 4:10 p.m.
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What to know:
- The daughter and grandson of French crypto exchange Paymium's CEO were targeted in a kidnap attempt, France 24 reported.
- Kidnapping cases related to crypto have been growing in the country.
The daughter and grandson of a French crypto exchange CEO were targeted in a failed kidnap attempt, adding to the growing number of crypto-related kidnapping cases in the country, France 24 reported on Tuesday.
A video widely shared on social media showed the attempt, in which three masked men wrestled the woman and another person to the ground in Paris. A shop owner intervened, waving a fire extinguisher, and the attackers gave up, driving off in two waiting vans. France 24 identified the crypto exchange as Paymium.
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The attack follows earlier — successful — kidnappings in the country. In January, David Ballard, a co-founder of crypto-wallet developer Ledger, was ransomed after being kidnapped with his wife from their home. In May, the father of a French crypto millionaire was kidnapped and rescued days later. Four suspects were arrested at the time, the BBC reported. Both of the men had a finger chopped off.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said on Wednesday he plans to meet with French crypto entrepreneurs to discuss how to protect them following the surge of kidnappers targeting wealthy people with crypto ties in France. The Paris prosecutors office opened an investigation into the attack, Reuters reported.
"These units within the law enforcement agencies have actually been very successful holding some of those people to account in those kidnapping cases," Chainalysis CEO Jonathan Levin said at Consensus on Wednesday in response to a question on the worldwide kidnapping for ransom trend. "I think that the message needs to get out there that these payments are traceable."
Lebih untuk Anda
KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.
Yang perlu diketahui:
- KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
- This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
- Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
- Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
- Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.
More For You
Why crypto’s new token issuances are falling flat and what comes next
New crypto tokens overwhelmingly lost value in 2025 as early liquidity, weak utility and misaligned distribution collided with a risk-averse market.
What to know:
- About 85% of tokens launched in 2025 are trading below their initial valuations, with the median token down more than 70%, according to Memento Research.
- Broad exchange-led distribution and airdrops flooded the market with short-term traders, creating persistent selling pressure and weak alignment with product usage.
- Regulatory uncertainty and thin token utility left many new assets without a clear long-term value proposition in a market dominated by bitcoin outperformance.
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