Comment
Author: Admin | 2025-04-28
In the early morning of January 21, David Balland and his wife were forced at gunpoint into separate vehicles outside their home in Méreau, a commune in the opulent Loire Valley, France. The kidnappers had targeted Balland, who cofounded cryptocurrency wallet company Ledger, with the goal of winning a ransom, a prosecutor has claimed.The kidnappers communicated their demands—the specifics of which have not been disclosed by law enforcement—to Éric Larchevêque, another Ledger cofounder. To flush out the full payment, they severed one of Balland’s fingers. French authorities dispatched more than 200 officers to investigate.On January 22, officers rescued Balland from a property in the neighboring town of Châteauroux. They later discovered his wife—trussed up but otherwise unharmed—in the back of a beaten up van.These events were relayed by Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau at a press conference on January 23 and in subsequent reports. The authorities had arrested 10 people suspected to be connected to the kidnapping, Beccuau announced. For acts of “torture, barbarity, and extortion,” she said, those arrested face up to life in prison if convicted.Ledger declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation and the need to afford privacy to Balland. In an X post, Ledger CEO Pascal Gauthier wrote, “We are deeply relieved that David and his wife have been released.”The grisly kidnapping—which came shortly after a crypto executive was held for ransom in Canada and the assassination of the United Healthcare CEO—has spooked the crypto industry. To protect themselves, wealthy crypto figures are turning to bodyguard services, which have experienced an influx of requests, sources with knowledge of the physical security sector tell WIRED.“Like any human emotion, fear is a significant motivator … The headlines certainly mobilize a lot of that concern,” says Adam Healy, a former US Marine and chief executive at crypto-focused cybersecurity company Station
Add Comment