Crypto Millionaires Held Captive in London 'Torture' Ordeal

Five men have been convicted of false imprisonment and blackmail in the UK after holding two French cryptocurrency millionaires captive for 52 hours. The victims, aged in their 20s, were ambushed in Shadwell, London, and taken to a flat in Canning Town where they were subjected to physical abuse, including being stripped, bound with tape and cable ties, beaten, and having boiling water poured over them.

The gang demanded $150,000 from the victims, who eventually transferred $30,000 to avoid further harm. The investigation was led by the Flying Squad, and police were able to trace the location of the flat through a phone left behind by one of the attackers.

Prosecutor Heidi Stonecliffe KC described the ordeal as 'cold, hard torture,' and argued that the victims' lifestyles, which had been widely published on social media, may have drawn the gang's attention. The defendants were cleared of kidnap and possessing an imitation firearm, but three of them had previous convictions for manslaughter, robbery, and possessing a handgun with ammunition.

The case is one of several high-profile incidents of 'wrench attacks' targeting cryptocurrency holders in Europe, with 39 such cases recorded in the first half of 2026 alone. The attackers will be sentenced in September.