Crypto home invasions rise 20-fold, financial exposure hits 124.1 million

CertiK reported a 20-fold increase in crypto-related home invasions from one incident in H1 2025 to 52 incidents in H1 2026. The financial exposure from these crimes, known as wrench attacks, reached approximately 124.1 million dollars, an 11.8-fold increase from about 10.5 million dollars in H1 2025. Europe accounted for 39 cases, with France alone having 33 incidents. Wrench attacks involve coercing individuals to surrender access to their crypto assets, highlighting the need for improved custody solutions. CertiK recommends using multisignature or multiparty computation to prevent unilateral control over significant funds. Additional safeguards include withdrawal delays, transaction caps, and emergency freeze options. The report emphasizes the importance of protecting personal data to mitigate profiling risks that attackers may exploit. CertiK suggests that crypto companies enhance transaction safeguards and access monitoring to protect individuals and their assets.