According to the “Known Physical Bitcoin Attacks” archive, curated by Casa’s co-founder Jameson Lopp, there have been over 100 physical assaults against Bitcoin enthusiasts. This archive highlights an alarming trend within the crypto landscape: an increase in violent attacks on individuals holding BTC and other digital currencies.
While many occurrences go unnoticed, this list acts as a stark reminder of the risks associated with owning cryptocurrency.
Escalating Dangers
The archive documents various violent incidents, starting with Hal Finney, a cryptocurrency pioneer and ALS patient, who experienced a terrifying police incident at his residence in December 2014. While his wife Fran assisted him in the shower, she received a troubling call from a 911 operator, alerting her to an impending SWAT response due to a false murder and suicide report.
This incident occurred shortly after a tragic shooting near their Santa Barbara residence, prompting a swift police reaction. As Fran was compelled to leave Hal, who struggled to swallow and depended on a ventilator, she feared for his well-being. This unsettling event was part of a year-long extortion plot against the Finneys, with the caller demanding 1,000 BTC (valued at over $400,000 at that time) while threatening violence against the family.
Lopp fell victim to “swatting” in August 2017 when an anonymous informant reported a fictitious hostage scenario at his home. The police received the alarming call from a person claiming to have shot someone and was holding hostages, even threatening to set off explosives unless his demands for $60,000 were met. As heavily armed authorities and emergency services surrounded the area, Lopp stepped outside to clarify that the situation was fabricated. He attributed the attack to online adversaries seeking retribution.
Over the years, the severity of such attacks has intensified. Dwayne Richards was kidnapped and stabbed in New York City, followed by the abduction of a cryptocurrency executive in Lithuania a few months later. Violence has remained a consistent threat, evident in incidents like the November 2017 robbery of a businessman in Istanbul, where a gang made off with $2.83 million in BTC, underscoring the significant risks tied to crypto ownership.
Home Invasions and Beyond
In England, three men wielding machetes broke into a residence, coercing the owners to transfer over 1,000 ETH.
The harrowing list extends from Pavel Lerner’s kidnapping in Kyiv in December 2017 to a series of home invasions across Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Cumming, Massachusetts, China, New York, Dubai, and Bangkok, among other locations, showcasing a variety of sophisticated criminal tactics.
Furthermore, two women snatched a toddler from a shopping mall, demanding a ransom of $660,000 in USDT. In another instance, a British crypto trader was mercilessly tied up and assaulted by five attackers who robbed him. Recently, the parents of criminals linked to a $243 million heist were carjacked and kidnapped during a failed ransom scheme, adding a chilling twist to the ongoing narrative.
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