**[France Becomes Global Hotspot for Physical Attacks on Bitcoin Holders: 90 Cases in Over 7 Months, Data Breaches May Be the Main Cause]** BlockBeats News, October 9: Official data from France shows that from January 1, 2026, to mid-August, a total of 90 cases of kidnappings, extortion, threats, and violent robberies related to cryptocurrencies were recorded in the country, averaging approximately one incident every 2.5 days. During the same period, police conducted 223 arrests, with 126 individuals imprisoned between January and July. According to blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis, as of mid-2026, 30 publicly recorded cryptocurrency-related violent incidents occurred in France. Meanwhile, security company Gart.io tracked 73 real-world attacks in France during the year, surpassing the 66 incidents in the United States and 27 in the United Kingdom. Eric Jardine, Head of Research at Chainalysis, believes the surge in attacks is likely linked to large-scale data breaches. The report highlights that the French tax data breach and the disclosure of user data by the cryptocurrency tax filing platform Waltio in 2026 may have provided attackers with information on cryptocurrency holders' identities, addresses, and asset details. Additionally, the report notes that over 40% of related attacks in France involved the victims' relatives or acquaintances, with criminals potentially identifying targets in advance through social media, on-chain data, and leaked information. French authorities are coordinating investigations through specialized organized crime judicial agencies. [Original Link]