Blockchain data platform Chainalysis on Thursday released a report titled "Violence Against Crypto Owners" and said violent crime targeting crypto holders is increasing. It said the pattern of crime is expanding beyond online activity to physical acts such as kidnappings and home invasions.

The report said assets stolen worldwide through violent crime targeting crypto owners, known as "wrench attacks", exceeded $30 million, or about 42 billion won, in the first half of 2026. If the trend continues, annual losses are expected to surpass the previous record set in 2025 of $58 million.

The figure covers only cases in which assets were successfully stolen. It said the actual scale of losses is likely to be larger if cases in which forced transfers were attempted but blocked, ransom demands and fund-freeze cases are included.

The report highlighted that crypto crime, previously centered on online hacking and fraud, is shifting to physical violence that directly threatens holders to force transfers. It said individuals often store and manage crypto themselves, making them new targets for criminals.

The range of targets is also widening. In the past, most cases directly targeted holders, but cases involving the kidnapping or threats against family members or acquaintances are also increasing. As of January 2026, cases targeting family and acquaintances accounted for about 25 to 30 percent of the total, and in France more than 40 percent of all cases targeted family or acquaintances. The share of home invasions also rose to 37 percent in the first half of 2026 from 14 percent in 2025, showing that methods of attack are changing quickly, the report said.

Chainalysis said it analyzed on-chain flows of stolen crypto assets and classified attackers into three types. It said analysis of fund movement routes can identify attackers' methods and whether they are linked to organized crime.

Jun-hyuk Kwon (권준혁), head of Chainalysis Korea, said, "This analysis shows that crimes targeting crypto owners are no longer confined to the online environment and are spreading into a real-world safety issue." He said, "As personal data leaks combine with physical crime, an approach that uses on-chain analysis together with traditional investigative techniques will become even more important."