A British cryptocurrency trader claimed that he lost approximately $800,000 in a violent burglary. Three men armed with knives allegedly took control of him and forced him to hand over the funds from his cryptocurrency wallet.
This British cryptocurrency trader stated that three men armed with knives took control of him and stole approximately $800,000 during a violent burglary.
- This British cryptocurrency trader claimed that three armed intruders took control of him and stole approximately $800,000 during a violent home robbery.
- The victim claimed that $40,000 was withdrawn from the main wallet, and an additional $720,000 was stolen from a Ledger hardware wallet, along with a Rolex watch.
- The trader claimed to have bruises but no serious injuries, and stated that the police were investigating the incident that occurred at his residence.
- Chainalysis Records show that in the first half of 2026, confirmed losses caused by successful cyberattacks on cryptocurrency holders exceeded 30 million US dollars.
On October 13th, this trader posted on the X platform stating that a person with the username @rrealist claimed that attackers broke into their home, pressed a knife against their face, and threatened to kill them, demanding that they hand over their cryptocurrency holdings.
The victim claimed that the intruder stole $40,000 from his main wallet, and an additional $720,000 was stolen from a Ledger hardware wallet. He initially estimated the total loss to be $800,000, but later he listed the total amount as $760,000.
During the robbery, a Rolex watch was also taken away, and the assailants are said to have stolen his phone as well, which they then smashed.
British cryptocurrency trader describes the threats during an armed robbery
According to the account holder, three knives were pressed against his face, and the intruders threatened that they would kill him unless he handed over his cryptocurrencies.
It is alleged that the attackers first tied him up with tape, and then forced him to hand over funds scattered across multiple wallets, including a Ledger hardware wallet.
In a subsequent post, this trader wrote: 'Three knives were pressed against my face, and they said they were going to kill me.' He described the threats he faced during the incident.
The victim stated that after the robbery, the police arrived at his residence, and his home was also designated as the crime scene.
He claims that apart from several bruises, he did not suffer any serious physical injuries, but he still feels shocked after this experience.
He wrote, "You always hear about such things, but you never think they could happen to you."
In the original post, this trader reminded other cryptocurrency holders living in the UK to be wary of the risk of becoming targets of violent robbery.
He later stated that he was not stabbed during the attack, which relieved him greatly.
The account shared a Solscan link, claiming that it pointed to a wallet containing stolen funds. The preview showed that the wallet balance at the time of posting was 346.12 SOL.
However, this screenshot alone cannot independently prove that the address received the proceeds of the robbery.
The police have not yet independently confirmed the details of the reported theft and the attack that occurred.
In 2026, there has been an increase in physical attacks targeting cryptocurrency holders.
This reported robbery incident continues a series of violent attacks targeting cryptocurrency holders. Such cases are commonly referred to as wrench attacks. In these incidents, criminals obtain access to digital assets through threats or physical violence.
In August this year, crypto.news reported the findings of Chainalysis: In the first half of 2026, confirmed losses caused by successful physical attacks exceeded 30 million US dollars.
Chainalysis recorded 46 attacks worldwide during this period, of which 12 resulted in criminals receiving payments.
Burglaries account for 37% of all incidents, which is higher than the 14% in 2025.
Another investigation conducted by CertiK shows that there were a total of 52 confirmed attacks on entities holding cryptocurrencies in the first six months of 2026.
A survey by this security company indicates that the total financial risk amounts to 124.1 million US dollars. However, this figure includes stolen assets, ransom demands, frozen funds, and other amounts related to these incidents.
Europe accounted for 39 out of 52 cases, with France reporting 33 of them. The UK has two verified cases in the data from CertiK.
The number of burglary cases increased from 1 recorded in the first half of 2025 to 20 in the same period of 2026.
A previous cryptocurrency-related kidnapping case in the UK ended with the conviction of five people.
British authorities have previously investigated violent crimes targeting individuals believed to hold large amounts of cryptocurrency assets.
In August this year, five men were convicted of participating in the kidnapping of two French cryptocurrency investors. The two victims were held captive in London for over 52 hours.
These two victims in their twenties suffered threats and physical violence before being forced to transfer $30,000 in cryptocurrency.
Metropolitan Police Department officers rescued the victim after tracking down a mobile phone left at the scene of the incident.
At the time of the report, the alleged mastermind was still at large.
Similar incidents have also been reported in other regions of Europe, especially in France, where cryptocurrency holders and their families have suffered violent attacks.
In September, a French couple was held at gunpoint by two masked intruders at their home in Alsace, who were armed with pistols and knives.
The attackers demanded the transfer of cryptocurrency and threatened the couple for over two hours, despite there being young children in the house.
Neighbors called the police after hearing screams, and the intruder fled before the police arrived.
Chainalysis has found that in the first half of 2026, among about 25% to 30% of recorded entity attacks, the families and acquaintances of victims who held cryptocurrencies also became targets.
This blockchain analytics firm pointed out that public blockchain transaction records help investigators track funds that have been transferred under coercion, but further investigation is needed to identify the individuals controlling the receiving wallets.
