Table of Contents
- Weekly Violent Incidents
- Centralized Data Breaches Intensify Risks
- Safety Recommendations
Weekly Violent Incidents
Alena Vranova stated that these violent incidents are not solely targeting early Bitcoin holders; even victims with relatively small asset sizes can become targets.
“Globally, at least one Bitcoin holder is kidnapped, tortured, extorted, or sometimes even murdered every week. We have seen cases where individuals were kidnapped for as little as $6,000 in cryptocurrency, and others who lost their lives over $50,000 worth of cryptocurrency.”
According to industry observations, the number of physical violent attacks against Bitcoin holders is expected to double and exceed historical worst records by 2025. This has prompted investors, developers, and senior executives to actively adopt personal security measures, including anonymizing asset holding information and enhancing home security defenses.
Centralized Data Breaches Intensify Risks
Alena Vranova pointed out that data breaches from centralized exchanges and other software service providers have provided a “list” for such violent crimes. These platforms collect sensitive information in accordance with KYC regulations, and once breached, criminals can target victims and even their families. For example, in May 2025, Coinbase experienced a data breach where the addresses and identity information of some users were exposed. In June of the same year, Cybernews discovered that as many as 160 billion user login credentials were circulating on the dark web, involving accounts from major platforms like Apple, Facebook, and Google. Experts warn that these leaked data will exacerbate phishing, social engineering, hacking, and identity theft attacks targeting cryptocurrency holders, leading to more targeted fraud and physical threats.
Alena Vranova revealed that over 80 million identities of Bitcoin and cryptocurrency users are known to have leaked, of which 2.2 million include home addresses. Such attacks are highly correlated with Bitcoin prices, usually peaking during bull markets.
Safety Recommendations
Industry insiders recommend that cryptocurrency investors take the following protective measures:
- Reduce public disclosure of their cryptocurrency asset sizes and holding information
- Diversify assets across multiple wallets and locations
- Use strong passwords and two-factor authentication to lower the risk of hacking
- Enhance home and personal travel safety awareness
Alena Vranova emphasized that as the cryptocurrency market continues to evolve, the issue of investor personal safety cannot be overlooked. “Protecting private keys is not just a technical issue; it is a life-and-death reality challenge.”
