Nikolas Sargeant
A Canadian volunteer moderator of a cryptocurrency forum has gone into hiding with his family after discovering a violent plot to kidnap him and steal his Bitcoin. In a revealing interview with La Presse, the unnamed victim described how he uncovered evidence of the planned attack before managing to escape with his children. The would-be kidnappers had prepared torture equipment, including a specially designed tarpaulin for controlled limb amputation.
Mistaken Identity Leads to Life-Threatening Ordeal
The investigation revealed that the attackers targeted the victim based on his role as a cryptocurrency Facebook page moderator, wrongly believing he possessed 2.5 million Bitcoin. "I'm a very ordinary guy. I may have $10,000," the victim clarified. The terrifying sequence began on November 4 with two masked men threatening him outside his home.
Days later, while helping his daughter into the car, he spotted a suspicious unlicensed black vehicle. After calling the police during a pursuit, one attacker allegedly drew a weapon. Police arrested four suspects, charging two with conspiracy to kidnap and illegal firearm possession, though they were later released on bail pending a March trial.
Global Wave of Cryptocurrency-Related Violence
The Canadian incident reflects a disturbing trend of cryptocurrency-related crimes worldwide. Recent cases include a French crypto influencer's father being discovered bound in a car trunk on New Year's Day, a Pakistani trader forced to transfer $340,000 at gunpoint, and the kidnapping of a crypto influencer's wife in Belgium on Christmas Eve.
Bitcoin advocate Jameson Lopp, who has documented over 180 crypto-related crimes since 2014, warns against displaying wealth on social media or wearing crypto-branded clothing.
Despite these violent incidents, the cryptocurrency industry showed some improvement in overall security, with losses from hacks and fraud totaling $1.49 billion in 2024 – a 17% decrease from the previous year. According to Immunefi, a blockchain security platform, hacks accounted for 98.1% of losses across 192 incidents, while fraud represented just 1.9%, though fraud cases increased by 72% year-over-year.
