Digital crypto crimes and scams have long been the norm, but physical robberies of cryptocurrency are seeing a sharp rise. Violent cryptocurrency robberies, or "wrench attacks," are rapidly increasing ...

A sharp rise in wrench attacks shows crypto crime has moved offline, forcing holders and firms to rethink personal security.

An analysis of “wrench attacks” shows physical assaults against crypto holders are increasing in number and severity, with Europe and Asia seeing the sharpest rise. After categorizing incidents into ...

Crypto custodians are reporting increased interest in their services amid the rising frequency of so-called “$5 wrench attacks” on cryptocurrency traders, investors and project leaders. In the last ...

So far this year, $2.17 billion has been stolen from crypto services — already eclipsing 2024's amount, according to a report from Chainalysis. The total amount of crypto stolen from both platforms ...

Wrench attacks, in which criminals physically assault or threaten crypto users or their families to try to gain access to their digital assets, surged in 2025, with about $40 million in losses, ...

Tobi is a crypto writer at Investopedia. He aims to simplify the complex concepts of blockchain and cryptocurrencies for the masses. Stella Osoba is the Senior Editor of trading and investing at ...