David Balland, a co-founder of the French crypto firm Ledger, was kidnapped along with his wife.
David Balland, a co-founder of the French cryptocurrency firm Ledger, and his wife were freed this week after being brutally kidnapped and held for ransom, French authorities announced on Thursday. Balland sustained severe injuries to his hand during the ordeal.
The couple was abducted early on Tuesday from their home in Vierzon, central France, and held captive at two separate locations. They were freed in a police operation involving more than 90 officers from France’s elite GIGN. Balland was rescued on Wednesday, and his wife was released the following day, found tied up but unharmed.Balland, who left Ledger in 2021, was hospitalized for his injuries.
Ledger, founded in 2014, is one of France’s leading cryptocurrency companies, known for its hardware wallets for crypto asset storage.
The kidnappers demanded a ransom in cryptocurrency, part of which was paid. Authorities have traced, frozen, and seized most of the cryptocurrency involved. As of Thursday, 10 suspects, many of whom are known to the police, are being questioned.
The investigation involved over 230 officers and led to the couple’s safe rescue without any shots being fired. According to Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau, the kidnappers contacted another Ledger co-founder and demanded a substantial ransom. Investigators are still determining the exact amount requested.
The investigation continues as authorities question the suspects, with potential charges carrying life sentences if convicted.
Russia has welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump’s new National Security Strategy, calling it largely consistent with Moscow’s own vision, as Washi...
Thailand launched air strikes along its disputed border with Cambodia on Monday after fresh fighting erupted before dawn on Monday, raising fears of t...
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says recent talks with U.S. representatives on a possible peace plan were “constructive, although not easy...
In 2013, just a month after becoming president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita declared that the days of mutinous soldiers undermining government authority in...
French naval forces opened fire on a swarm of unidentified drones that flew over one of the country’s most sensitive military installations, the Île Longue submarine base in western Brittany, officials confirmed on Friday.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 6th of December, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping accompanied French President Emmanuel Macron to Chengdu on Friday, a rare gesture seemingly reserved for the head of Europe's second-largest economy that highlights Beijing's focus on Paris in its ties with the European Union.
French President Emmanuel Macron urged Chinese leader Xi Jinping to cooperate more closely on geopolitics, trade and the environment, as the European Union seeks China's help to end the war in Ukraine.
A coup attempt by a “small group of soldiers” has been foiled in Benin after hours of gunfire struck parts of the economic capital Cotonou, officials said on Sunday.
A delayed local vote in the rural Honduran town of San Antonio de Flores has become a pivotal moment in the country’s tightest presidential contest, with both campaigns watching its results as counting stretches into a second week.
FIFA releases the 2026 World Cup schedule with match dates, venues, and key fixtures. See when host nations USA, Mexico, and Canada play and get an overview of group stage and knockout rounds.
Lava fountains shot from Hawaii’s Kīlauea volcano from dawn to dusk on Saturday, with new footage showing intensifying activity at the north vent.
McLaren’s Lando Norris became Formula One world champion for the first time in Abu Dhabi, edging Max Verstappen to the title by just two points after a tense season finale.
Russia has welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump’s new National Security Strategy, calling it largely consistent with Moscow’s own vision, as Washington pushes forward with efforts to broker an end to the war in Ukraine.
Thailand launched air strikes along its disputed border with Cambodia on Monday after fresh fighting erupted before dawn on Monday, raising fears of the collapse of a peace plan brokered just months ago by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says recent talks with U.S. representatives on a possible peace plan were “constructive, although not easy,” as he prepares for new consultations with European leaders in coming days.
In 2013, just a month after becoming president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita declared that the days of mutinous soldiers undermining government authority in the capital, Bamako, were over. Yet, seven years later, Keita himself was toppled, facing the very fate he had vowed to prevent.
Polling closed on Sunday (7 December) in Hong Kong’s overhauled “patriots-only” legislative election, with vote counting now underway.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment