French Authorities Shield Crypto Execs After Kidnapping Spree

A police motorcade escorted guests of a VIP dinner at Paris Blockchain Week to the Palace of Versailles, on April 14.Photographer: Anna Irrera/Bloomberg

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By Anna Irrera and Gaspard Sebag

April 16, 2026 at 4:31 PM UTC

Updated on

April 17, 2026 at 8:12 AM UTC

Authorities in France are trying to reassure jittery digital-asset executives and investors, as a spate of kidnappings and attempted abductions threatens to upend the country’s crypto hub ambitions.

A police motorcade escorted Paris Blockchain Week guests to a VIP dinner in the Palace of Versailles on Tuesday, while the conference’s organizers doubled security around the two-day event. In a speech on Tuesday, Jean-Didier Berger, minister delegate to the French interior minister, said the ministry is preparing a new package of measures to protect cryptoasset holders.