Three Arrested After Binance France Employee Home Break-In

Update Feb. 13, 1:44 pm UTC: This article has been updated to include a comment from Yi He, the co-founder and chief customer service officer at Binance.

Three suspects were arrested in France after a reported break-in targeting the home of a senior figure at Binance’s French unit, with the company confirming to Cointelegraph that one of its employees was the victim of a home invasion.

Local outlet RTL, citing anonymous police sources, reported that three hooded individuals carrying weapons attempted to enter an apartment in Val-de-Marne around 7:00 am CET Thursday.

RTL said the suspects first forced their way into the apartment of another resident, demanding they direct them to the home of the head of Binance France. RTL reported the suspects searched the apartment and stole two mobile phones before fleeing.

Two hours later, the three suspects were reportedly arrested during a second home invasion attempt in Hauts-de-Seine after residents alerted authorities, RTL said. Authorities recovered the stolen phones and a vehicle that RTL said linked the suspects to the earlier break-in.

Binance confirms employee targeted in home invasion

Binance confirmed the incident to Cointelegraph but declined to identify the employee involved.

“We are aware of a home break-in involving one of our employees. There is an ongoing investigation with the local police,” a Binance spokesperson said. “The safety and well-being of our employees and their families is our absolute priority. We are working closely with law enforcement and further enhancing appropriate security measures.”

Related: 22 Bitcoin worth $1.5M vanish from Seoul police custody

David Prinçay is the president of Binance France, but Cointelegraph was unable to independently verify the identity of the employee targeted in the break-in. Binance declined to provide further details, citing the ongoing investigation and safety concerns.

“We can confirm that he and his family are safe and actively working with law enforcement, wrote Yi He, the co-founder and chief customer service officer at Binance, expressing gratitude for the swift response of the French police’s elite unit, the Brigade de Répression du Banditisme.

Crypto wrench attacks rise 75% in 2025; France sees most attacks

The attack occurred days after French police arrested six people over the kidnapping of a magistrate and her mother in a crypto-linked ransom attack targeting the magistrate’s partner, a crypto entrepreneur, Cointelegraph reported on Monday.

Physical attacks targeting cryptocurrency investors, also known as “wrench attacks,” have risen over the past year. Wrench attacks increased by 75% during 2025 to 72 verified cases worldwide, according to cybersecurity platform CertiK.

Related: Binance completes $1B Bitcoin conversion for SAFU emergency fund

Wrench attacks accounted for at least $40.9 million in confirmed losses in 2025, but the value could be much larger due to unreported incidents, according to CertiK.

France recorded the biggest number of attacks last year, with 19 confirmed incidents, while Europe accounted for about 40% of all attacks globally in 2025.

Magazine: Meet the onchain crypto detectives fighting crime better than the cops