An incident in France has highlighted the growing vulnerability of crypto industry figures and their families. According to the French publication Le Journal du Dimanche (JDD), unknown individuals attempted to kidnap the wife of Sébastien Borget, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of the metaverse project The Sandbox.
The events took place in the town of Villenoy in the Seine-et-Marne department. According to investigators, the attack was carefully planned and involved disguising the perpetrators as a delivery service.
The “courier” scenario played a central role. One of the attackers wore a delivery vest and carried a cardboard box, attempting to pose as a regular courier. When the woman opened the gate, a group of hooded individuals rushed into the property and tried to force her into a nearby vehicle.
The plan failed due to an unexpected factor: neighbors heard screams and intervened, forcing the attackers to flee the scene before completing the abduction.
French police quickly detained two suspects, while at least four others remain at large. The arrested individuals were found with items suggesting preparation for kidnapping, including a replica firearm, plastic zip ties, and balaclavas. Preliminary reports indicate that the suspects are teenagers born in 2009 and 2010, adding a particularly alarming dimension to the case.
Investigators are considering a possible link to the cryptocurrency-related activities of Borget’s family and his public profile in the Web3 industry.
Sébastien Borget is one of the co-founders of The Sandbox, an Ethereum-based blockchain platform connected to the metaverse, NFTs, and the SAND token. The project became one of the symbols of the 2021–2022 metaverse boom, when virtual worlds and digital real estate were seen as the next evolution of the internet.
Even though interest in the sector has since cooled, the public visibility of its founders remains high. Security experts note that such visibility often turns crypto entrepreneurs into potential targets.
According to France’s national judicial police, there have been 41 kidnapping or attempted kidnapping cases linked to crypto since the beginning of 2026 alone. Since 2023, the total has reached 135 incidents, accounting for roughly 80% of all such cases in Europe.
Law enforcement officials say criminals increasingly view crypto holders as a “fast liquidity source,” given the speed of transactions and the difficulty of recovering funds once transferred.
This is not an isolated case. In a previous incident, armed attackers forced a French family to transfer around $820,000 in crypto assets under threat. There have also been reported attempts targeting relatives of Paymium executives and Binance France leadership.
Amid rising threats, French authorities are discussing enhanced security measures for crypto industry participants, including expanded police monitoring and personal protection programs.
Experts note that the crypto market has moved beyond purely digital risks such as hacks and protocol exploits. A new physical layer of risk has emerged, directly affecting individuals behind the industry.
As crypto becomes more mainstream and visible, the line between digital wealth and real-world vulnerability continues to blur.
While the investigation is still ongoing, the incident already reflects a broader trend: the maturation of the crypto industry brings not only capital growth but also very real-world dangers.
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