Armed men attempted to break into the home of Binance France president David Prinçay on Thursday morning, marking the latest in a rising wave of crypto-related attacks across France.
According to the French media RTL, three masked individuals entered an apartment building in the Val-de-Marne area around 07:00 on February 12. They were reportedly armed and searching for Prinçay's apartment.
The attackers, however, fled after discovering that he was not at home.
Armed commando soldier escapes, then strikes again
Local reports suggested that the group first forced another resident to help them find the right apartment. Police stated that the suspects searched the Binance leader's home before leaving with two stolen phones.
Shortly after, around 09:15, police in Hauts-de-Seine responded to another incident. A resident of Vaucresson reported that he had been struck in the head with rifle butts by masked men.
Authorities later linked the two incidents together.
According to RTL, surveillance footage showed that the suspects used the same vehicle that had previously been seen in Val-de-Marne. The stolen phones were also traced to the second address.
Witnesses reportedly overheard the attackers saying that the address was wrong before they fled again.
Arrested at Lyon Perrache station
French police launched a coordinated operation with Paris Brigade de Répression du Banditisme (BRB), police units from Hauts-de-Seine, Val-de-Marne, Yvelines, and transport police.
Investigators tracked the suspects via public transport.
The three men boarded a train to Lyon. Authorities alerted the Lyon BRI unit, which later that day arrested them at Lyon Perrache station.
They are now in custody. The investigation is still ongoing.
Binance co-founder Yi He commented on the incident on X and confirmed that the involved leader and his family are safe.
Will France become a haven for cryptocurrency crime?
The failed attack comes amid a rise in cryptocurrency-related kidnappings and break-ins across France.
In May 2025, French police arrested more than 20 suspects linked to a series of kidnappings in the Paris metropolitan area and nearby regions, where criminals targeted wealthy cryptocurrency investors.
Throughout 2025, French authorities continued to dismantle groups linked to extortion focusing on crypto.
The investigation revealed that attackers often used private information obtained from leaks on the dark web or social media to map potential victims.
The methods varied from staged break-ins—often early in the morning—to coordinated kidnappings and forced relocations between different locations to avoid detection.