As kidnappings and data breaches shake the crypto world, wealthy investors are turning to bodyguards and private intelligence to protect themselves and their digital assets.
Before Coinbase Global Inc. announced a breach that exposed customers’ home addresses and account balances, demand for private security among high-net-worth cryptocurrency investors was already on the rise.
Jethro Pijlman, managing director at Infinite Risks International, a Dutch security firm, revealed that an increasing number of crypto holders have recently sought long-term protection amid a series of targeted crimes involving digital wealth.
“We’ve had more inquiries, more long-term clients, and more proactive requests from crypto investors who don’t want to be caught off guard,” said Pijlman. “They’re realising that intelligent security measures are part of the cost of doing business at this level.”
Infinite Risks International, based in Amsterdam, specialises in providing tailored physical security and intelligence services for clients in the cryptocurrency space. The company has seen a marked increase in concern from individuals who fear becoming targets due to the nature of their crypto assets.
Those concerns have been magnified by a wave of violent incidents in the crypto sector, including a recent attempted abduction of the daughter and grandson of a French cryptocurrency executive. The attack, which took place last week, is just the latest in a string of high-profile kidnapping attempts targeting crypto-linked families.
The unique risks associated with cryptocurrency ownership are driving this trend. Unlike traditional bank accounts, which can be frozen or recovered through legal processes, cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum are decentralised and irreversible. If criminals gain access to private keys or wallet credentials, they can drain an account in seconds—and there is little hope of recovery.
“Public blockchain networks like Bitcoin and Ethereum allow tokens to be transferred instantly and anonymously,” Pijlman explained. “If an individual is coerced into giving up the access credentials to their holdings, their assets can vanish within seconds with little chance of recovery.”
Traditional banking institutions offer multiple layers of protection, such as transaction reversals and regulatory oversight, which digital currencies lack. As a result, many wealthy crypto investors are now treating personal security as a necessity rather than a luxury.
While the crypto industry continues to evolve, the growing physical threats facing its wealthiest participants have highlighted the vulnerability that comes with decentralised assets—and the new era of security solutions designed to protect them.
