Authored by Stephen Katte via CoinTelegraph.com,
Estimated losses from global crypto wrench attacks reached $101 million in the first four months of 2026, with most attacks occurring in Europe, according to Web3 security company CertiK.
With just 34 documented crypto wrench attacks, the losses have nearly doubled those of 2025, which came in at $52.2 million. Europe accounted for 82% of incidents, according to CertiK.
“Our 2025 report documented a gradual tilt from Asia and North America toward Europe, and these first four months of 2026 mark a European hyper-concentration.”The frequency of wrench attacks has increased since 2025. They involve physical force to gain access to a victim’s crypto holdings and have taken the form of home invasions, kidnappings and other extortion attempts. CertiK said there have been 34 attacks since the start of the year.
If the trend continues, CertiK predicts that by year-end the number of incidents could hit 130, and losses could reach “several hundred million dollars.”
There have been 34 verified wrench attacks worldwide since the start of the year. Source: CertiK
France is an epicenter of wrench attacksOf the attacks, 24 crypto wrench attacks occurred in France this year, said CertiK. France’s National Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime has reported a higher figure of 47 incidents in 2026.
CertiK said France has likely emerged as a hot spot for these kinds of criminals because of the presence of crypto executives from major crypto companies such as Ledger, Paymium and Binance.
Crypto holders in France are being targeted more than anywhere else in the world. Source: CertiK
It also pointed to numerous data leaks, such as the January breach at crypto accounting firm Waltio and tax official Ghalia C, who is accused of selling crypto asset holder data to criminal networks, and “a culture of flexing and voluntary doxxing that remains deeply embedded in the community.”
“Early 2026 marks the shift to a data-driven targeting model in which prior physical surveillance becomes unnecessary once attackers have the victim's full name, home address, financial profile, and so on.”
“The structural takeaway is clear: as the security of protocols and wallets tends to improve, the threat migrates toward the human link. As long as crypto-asset holdings remain associated with identifiable financial data, physical coercion will remain the economically most rational attack path,” CertiK added.
Blockchain intelligence company TRM Labs reported in May last year that wrench attacks have been on the rise because of the perceived pseudonymity of crypto transactions, the public visibility of wealth, and the ease with which bad actors can gather personal data online.
The criminal teams are often “complete amateurs”Across recorded wrench attacks, CertiK said the orchestrators are often located outside the target country. The criminal teams on the ground usually consist of three to five people, and they frequently pose as delivery drivers or police officers, or lure victims into an ambush with a ruse such as a fictitious business meeting.
“Most of the time, they are recruited via messaging apps such as Telegram or Snapchat for a few thousand dollars. They don't know each other and are complete amateurs,” CertiK added.
Meanwhile, Casa chief security officer Jameson Lopp has recorded 31 crypto wrench attacks so far this year and reported in March that four cases he was tracking for his list turned out to be mistaken identity, with the thieves attacking the wrong targets.
Source: Jameson Lopp
In April, at least 88 people, including 10 minors, were indicted in connection with alleged wrench attacks on crypto owners in France.
“The growing proportion of minors signals an increasing externalization of criminal liability toward profiles less exposed to mandatory minimum sentences,” CertiK added.
Tyler Durden Sat, 05/09/2026 - 08:10Russia offered Iran thousands of advanced drones built to bypass electronic jamming systems, along with training for attacks on US troops in the Middle East, according to a confidential intelligence document obtained and reviewed by The Economist.
Already the two countries have deepened their defense ties in the context of the years-long Ukraine war, with Tehran providing tens of thousands of Shahed suicide drones, but this fresh allegation points to potential increasing Russian involvement against the United States in the Persian Gulf region.
Illustrative file image, source: Dragonfly Pictures Inc.Moscow has been previously accused of supplying the Iranians with targeting intelligence related to Operation Epic Fury, and some analysts have said this could explain how Iranian ballistic missiles and drones were able in many cases to score precision hits on US radar and military outposts in the region, as far away as Jordan for example.
The Economist report accuses Russian intelligence of preparing a plan to offer Tehran what are essentially 'un-jammable drones', describing that teh GRU military intelligence agency drafted a 10-page proposal offering Iran 5,000 short-range fiber-optic drones, as well as an undisclosed number of longer-range satellite-guided drones, and a full drone operator training program.
The document is said the be full of diagrams and maps of strategic Iranian coastal zones and islands near the Strait of Hormuz, which is precisely where sporadic fighting between US and Iranian forces is taking place currently.
Neither Tehran nor Moscow has publicly acknowledged any such plan or document, and they are not expected to comment. But to some degree the 'planning' seems consistent with what Russia has learned amid the 'drone wars' over Ukraine.
Unlike conventional drones controlled by radio signals, fiber-optic drones operate through trailing cables, making them extremely difficult, if not impossible, to jam electronically - but also highly responsive and maneuverable. Hezbollah in Lebanon is said to be increasingly reliant on tethered drones for attacks on IDF convoys in South Lebanon as well as northern Israel.
As for the Iran war context, the GRU assessed that US amphibious forces and landing craft would be especially vulnerable to drone swarm attacks because of their slow speed, according to The Economist.
The Kremlin has broadly sought to bat down such reports alleging a deepened Russian military or intelligence role in helping Iran amid its war with the US and Israel. Also, most every country has intelligence 'plans' on the shelves as 'options' - but it doesn't mean any follow through actually results, or that decisions were even close to being made.
Lyman, in the Donetsk region of Ukraine
If you’re not aware, wireless drones can be “jammed” so the operator can no longer control it. In response, they’re using tiny fiber optic cables attached to the drone to circumvent jamming
These videos speak to the volume of drone… pic.twitter.com/HTbvaWJSj1
It should also be noted that The Economist in particular is among the more establishment and national security state-friendly magazines and news sources.
Some pundits have accused the publication of tending to always reflect a CIA and military-industrial complex mainstream perspective on global events and 'official enemies'.
Tyler Durden Sat, 05/09/2026 - 07:35With just one more point on election day, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) is closing in on producing a political earthquake.
According to a recent poll by Infratest dimap, the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt is pushing its lead even further, now at 41 percent.
The poll also shows that for the CDU, establishing a government is becoming more difficult, especially since any realistic option besides the AfD appears to be a minority government.
There are just four months until election day, and much could change until then, but the AfD appears to be only gaining momentum, not only in the state, but also nationwide, where it just hit a record of 28 percent in the latest Insa survey.
SACHSEN-ANHALT | Sonntagsfrage Landtagswahl Infratest dimap/MDR, MZ, Volksstimme
AfD: 41% (+2)
CDU: 26% (-1)
LINKE: 12% (-1)
SPD: 7%
GRÜNE: 4% (+1)
BSW: 4% (-2)
Sonstige: 6% (+1)
Änderungen zur letzten Umfrage vom 04. September 2025
Verlauf: https://t.co/x9wTDqkYqA#ltwst… pic.twitter.com/1T1SnGSDuF
In the “Sachsen-AnhaltTREND” survey, which was conducted by Infratest dimap on behalf of the Magdeburger Volksstimme, the Mitteldeutsche Zeitung, and Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk, the AfD hit 41 percent. Meanwhile, its closest rival, the CDU, lost 1 percentage point compared to the previous week and sits at 26 percent.
Compared to an Infratest poll from last September, the AfD has increased its support by 2 percentage points. Following the CDU are Die Linke at 12 percent and the SPD at 7 percent.
🇩🇪🎄The German Christmas market in Magdeburg has been suspended over security concerns, sparking a nationwide debate.
The question: Why are Christmas markets in Germany being canceled while countries like 🇵🇱Poland and the 🇨🇿Czech Republic have no serious terror threats at their… pic.twitter.com/MUW5fofh5w
Both the Greens and the BSW are polling at 4 percent. These two parties, along with the FDP, would currently fail to enter the state parliament. The FDP, a current member of the state government with the CDU and SPD, was not listed individually in the results because of its low figures. All other parties combined represent 6 percent of the total.
If all the current values of the other parties held, then just one point more for the AfD would allow the party to rule with an absolute majority. However, if other parties, such as the Greens, were to pass the 5 percent threshold on election day, this would complicate the math for the AfD.
In addition, a majority of respondents are unhappy with the state government, with 62 percent stating they are only slightly or not at all satisfied. Only 33 percent expressed that they are very satisfied or satisfied with the government’s performance. Furthermore, 82 percent of people have little to no confidence that the state is generally fulfilling its duties, and the same number, 82 percent, assess the current economic situation as “less than good” or “poor.”
Only 14 percent rate the economy as “very good” or “good.”
Tyler Durden Sat, 05/09/2026 - 07:00