Morning Edition · Thursday, July 23, 2026Published at 1:28 AM EDT · New York
Physical Coercion Attacks on Crypto Holders Reach 52 in First Half as Losses Climb, CertiK Says
Recorded financial exposure from so-called wrench attacks rose to $124.1 million, while smaller on-chain exploits continued to drain deprecated contracts.
Physical coercion attacks on crypto holders, in which victims are threatened or assaulted to hand over keys, reached 52 recorded cases in the first half of 2026, with financial exposure rising to $124.1 million, according to a CertiK report…
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Part of a tracked trend
Physical Coercion Becomes a Structural Crypto Risk
As on-chain wealth becomes traceable to identifiable individuals, physical coercion of holders keeps rising as a distinct attack vector alongside on-chain exploits, raising the security cost of self-custody.
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