Cryptorapts: Business owners can now hide their addresses to reduce the risk of attack

This is a response to concerns in the cryptocurrency industry, where several players have been victims of kidnappings or sometimes spectacular attempted kidnappings in recent months. Business leaders will be able to request that their personal addresses remain confidential, according to a decree published this Sunday, August 24.

Under this decree published in the Official Journal , directors of companies registered in the National Register of Companies (RNE) can request at any time the concealment of their personal addresses and those of their partners. A measure which should make them less identifiable to criminals, and therefore "better protect their private lives and thus guarantee their security" , welcomed the Minister of Justice Gérald Darmanin on X.

The government announced in mid-May the creation of a working group with stakeholders in the cryptocurrency sector with a view to developing an action plan to strengthen security in this sector following a series of kidnappings and attempted abductions .

This dark streak began in January with the kidnapping of Ledger co-founder David Balland and his partner. The latter was eventually released and his partner found tied up in a vehicle. On May 13, in the 11th arrondissement of Paris, the spectacular attempted kidnapping of the daughter and grandson of the CEO of the cryptocurrency company Paymium, immortalized by a video that went viral, caused a major media impact.

To address concerns, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau brought together crypto-asset stakeholders, the Paris police chief, the directors general of the police and gendarmerie, and the Association for the Development of Digital Assets in mid-May . The stated objective was to "prevent, deter, and protect the sector."

At the end of this meeting, the tenant of Beauvau had affirmed that it had been agreed "on initial measures of immediate prevention and protection, as well as a work program in order to structurally raise the level of security of professionals in the crypto sector" .