In 2025, crypto crime has taken a violent turn.
Physical attacks aimed at stealing cryptocurrencies, known as “keystroke attacks,” jumped 75% from the previous year, with 72 confirmed incidents worldwide, according to a new report from CertiK.
The report marks last year as a turning point, where physical violence became a major threat to crypto holders.
In this context, keystroke attacks describe scenarios in which victims are forced, often through the use of violence, to hand over their private keys. The report noted a 250% increase in physical assaults, including home invasions, kidnappings and even murder.
Europe now accounts for more than 40% of all such incidents worldwide, up from 22% in 2024, according to the report. France leads with 19 reported attacks, more than double the number in the United States. CertiK attributes this rise to organized crime groups increasingly targeting known crypto holders in France, Spain and Sweden.
In some cases, criminals forced entry into victims’ homes. In others, they targeted spouses, children or elderly parents to coerce them into cooperating. So-called “honeypot” schemes, in which attackers construct fake romantic relationships to stage attacks, are also featured in the data.
Behind this violence are apparently improvements in digital security, which increase the costs of hacking. However, threatening someone with a gun still works. The report calls this the “technical paradox”: stronger technology, but the same fragile human layer.
With over $40 million in confirmed losses, and likely many more unreported, CertiK warned that personal security is now part of the crypto risk equation.
The cryptocurrency space has been working on solutions including insurance policies. Some well-known companies, including insurance giant Lloyd’s of London, have started offering their customers coverage that includes key attacks.
