Authorities detain trio following burglary at Binance France official's residence: Sources
Authorities in France detained three individuals following a burglary attempt at a Binance France official's residence, according to RTL. The crypto exchange has acknowledged the home invasion incident affecting one of its staff members.
Authorities in France have detained three individuals following a burglary attempt at the residence of a high-ranking official from Binance's operations in France, according to reports, while the cryptocurrency exchange has verified to Cointelegraph that one of its staff members fell victim to a residential invasion.
French news organization RTL, referencing unnamed law enforcement sources, stated that three masked persons tried to gain access to a residence located in Val-de-Marne at approximately 7:00 am CET on Thursday and were in possession of weapons.
According to RTL's reporting, the individuals initially broke into another resident's apartment, compelling that person to show them the way to the residence of the leader of Binance France. The suspects proceeded to search through the apartment and made off with two mobile devices before making their escape, RTL stated.
Approximately two hours following the initial incident, the three individuals were apprehended during what was reportedly a second residential invasion attempt in Hauts-de-Seine after local residents notified law enforcement, according to RTL. Law enforcement officials retrieved the mobile phones that had been taken and a motor vehicle that RTL indicated connected the individuals to the first burglary.
Binance confirms a break into an employee's home
The cryptocurrency exchange verified the occurrence to Cointelegraph but refused to disclose the identity of the staff member who was targeted.
"We are aware of a home break-in involving one of our employees. There is an ongoing investigation with the local police. The safety and well-being of our employees and their families is our absolute priority. We are working closely with law enforcement and further enhancing appropriate security measures."
Binance spokesperson
David Prinçay serves as the President of Binance France, however Cointelegraph could not independently confirm the identity of the staff member who was the target of the burglary. The exchange refused to offer additional information, referencing the active investigation and security considerations.
Crypto wrench attacks rise 75% in 2025, as France sees most attacks
Physical assaults against individuals holding cryptocurrency, commonly referred to as "wrench attacks," have experienced an increase throughout the previous year.
Such wrench attacks saw a 75% surge throughout 2025, reaching 72 confirmed incidents globally that were documented during the previous year, based on data from cybersecurity platform CertiK.
These wrench attacks resulted in a minimum of $40.9 million in verified financial losses during 2025, though the actual amount could be significantly higher due to incidents that go unreported, based on CertiK's findings.
Among all nations, France documented the highest number of such attacks during the previous year, registering 19 verified incidents, while the European continent represented approximately 40% of the total attacks recorded worldwide throughout 2025.