Ledger Co-Founder Freed After Kidnapping in France 

According to Le Berry Republicain, on January 22,  gendarmes were seen in Vierzon investigating the entrepreneur’s disappearance. 

In a later release, the media stated that he was released. The Paris prosecutor’s office announced that Balland was taken care of by emergency services and was to receive treatment.

The Ledger co-founder was kidnapped in the early morning of January 21, 2025, at his home in Cher. Criminals took him to another address and held him as a captive, demanding a large ransom in cryptocurrency. 

Before the official release by prosecutors, there was confusing information about who was kidnapped. Some sources wrongly informed that Éric Larchevêque, Ledger’s other co-founder, was missing but later the news was denied. 

Based on reports, people related to crypto have become a target for criminals. 

Between the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025, at least three attacks on crypto holders or their family members occurred, Le Berry Republicain states. 

On December 31, 2024, a 56-year-old man, the father of a crypto influencer, was kidnapped in Ain. The police found him kilometers away, tied up in the trunk of a car near Le Mans.

These cases happen as the crypto market rallies, highlighting growing security risks for crypto investors and influencers.