Security firm CertiK logged 52 verified "wrench attacks" targeting crypto holders in the first half of 2026, with total recorded financial exposure reaching $124.1 million, according to its Intel3D H1 2026 report published July 22.

That is 33.3% more incidents than the 39 cases recorded in H1 2025. The money figure jumped far harder: exposure a year earlier stood at roughly $10.5 million, so the increase comes out to 1,079%. Average exposure per incident climbed from about $270,000 to $2.39 million.

France at the center of the surge

Europe accounted for 39 of the 52 attacks, or 75% of the global total. France alone contributed 33 verified incidents, representing 63.5% of all cases worldwide. The U.S. recorded four, Sweden and the UK two each. France's own National Directorate of Judicial Police counted 41 incidents just between January and March, a higher figure than CertiK's verified public dataset, partly because some cases get classified as robbery or kidnapping without an explicit crypto label. French prosecutors had charged 88 suspects across 12 investigations by late April.

The attack mix shifted too. Home invasions went from one recorded case in the prior period to 20, making them the single most common attack type in H1 2026. Most of the frequency increase came from Q1, when CertiK counted 35 incidents versus 22 in Q1 2025. Q2 slowed to 17 cases, matching Q2 2025 exactly.

CertiK was careful with the $124.1 million figure. It covers stolen funds, ransom demands, frozen assets and other documented values, not only money confirmed as lost. Some victims never report attacks, and public records often do not show whether a ransom was paid or recovered. The firm treats the total as recorded exposure, not confirmed criminal proceeds.

The report also pushed back against simply doubling the H1 total as a 2026 forecast. A repeat of the first-half pace would put the year near 100 verified incidents, but CertiK said the diverging Q1 and Q2 trends make any straight-line projection unreliable.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice.