Bitcoin Theft Escalates: Wrench Attacks Soar in 2025

The cryptocurrency world is facing a rising tide of violent crime, as attacks targeting investors have surged alarmingly in 2025. Alena Vranova, founder of SatoshiLabs, sounded the alarm at the Baltic Honeybadger 2025 conference in Riga, Latvia. Her testimony highlighted that kidnapping, physical assault, and extortion are becoming commonplace, aimed at forcing victims to hand over their cryptocurrency private keys.