CertiK Reports 33% Rise in Physical Crypto Coercion to $124 Million in H1 2026

Physical coercion targeting cryptocurrency holders increased substantially in the first half of 2026, driven by a surge in home invasions across Western Europe, according to a report published by blockchain security firm CertiK on Oct. 13 ¹.

CertiK recorded 52 verified physical coercion incidents globally during H1 2026, marking a 33.3% increase compared to 39 incidents documented in H1 2025 ¹. Recorded financial exposure—a figure capturing actual thefts, ransom demands, frozen assets, and reported losses—reached approximately $124.18 million in the first half of the year, an 11.8-fold rise from roughly $10.53 million during H1 2025 ¹. Average exposure per attack climbed to approximately $2.39 million from $270,000 ¹. The momentum was concentrated in the first quarter of 2026, which saw 35 incidents before cooling to 17 in the second quarter ¹.

Geographical Concentration and Home Invasions

The report highlighted a sharp geographic consolidation into Western Europe, which accounted for 39 of the 52 incidents, or 75% of the global total ¹. France served as the primary epicenter with 33 verified attacks, representing 63.5% of all incidents worldwide ¹. By comparison, North America logged five incidents—including four in the United States—while Asia dropped to six cases from 13 a year prior ¹. Other impacted jurisdictions included Sweden and the United Kingdom with two incidents each, alongside single incidents recorded in Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Philippines, Spain, and Turkey ¹. This development builds on prior patterns covered in violent crypto thefts reaching $30 million in 2026 amid a French incident surge ¹.

Tactically, CertiK identified home invasions as the primary driver behind the shift in criminal methods ¹. Reported residential break-ins aimed at coercing wallet credentials jumped to 20 incidents in H1 2026 from just one in H1 2025 ¹. Kidnappings rose to 16 from 12, torture incidents remained steady at four cases, and murders held at one confirmed case across both comparative six-month periods ¹. CertiK emphasized that its figures represent visible events and noted that severe under-reporting persists due to victim concerns over retaliation, reputation, and tax scrutiny ¹.