Key Notes
- Dark web intelligence firm Brinztech reported that around 5,000 pieces of French cryptocurrency holders’ data were put up for sale on December 24, 2025.
- Waltio says the data exposed is limited to emails and summary information from the 2024 tax report, with no passwords or wallet addresses compromised.
- The cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor’s office ordered the investigation carried out by the National Cybercrime Unit.
French authorities are investigating a data breach at cryptocurrency tax platform Waltio, as the government warns that kidnappings targeting cryptocurrency holders were reported to law enforcement in January 2026.
The cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor’s office ordered a preliminary investigation into this breach, which was entrusted to the national cybercrime unit, according to a government cybersecurity alert.
Investigations are continuing to determine the precise nature of the stolen data and identify the users affected.
This Friday morning, we filed a complaint for attempted extortion and attack on an automated data processing system.
On January 21, 2026, we were the recipient of an extortion attempt. This seems to follow a particularly attack…
– Waltio (@Get_Waltio) January 23, 2026
Waltio acknowledged the breach in a security advisory published on January 23, stating that the exposed data is limited to users’ email addresses and summary information from 2024 tax returns.
The company said passwords and access to exchange accounts were not compromised. Wallet addresses and banking data also remained secure.
Crypto tax platforms collect sensitive transaction data in accordance with international reporting requirements.
Government warns of physical threats
French authorities have issued specific warnings about criminals posing as law enforcement officers to target victims of violations.
The government alert warns that police will never call to request confidential data or show up unannounced at residences to claim that a user’s data has been compromised.
Physical attacks against crypto holders have increased in France. French media reported that a retired couple was kidnapped in Sallanches on January 14 and that a kidnapping attempt was foiled in Paris on January 23.
Hardware wallet maker Ledger, also based in France, reported a separate breach earlier in January 2026.
Company response and timeline
Waltio CEO Pierre Morizot said the company filed a criminal complaint for attempted extortion and unauthorized system access on January 23.
The company described the attack as particularly sophisticated and confirmed its active cooperation with investigators.
Waltio also confirmed that it has sent a notification to the CNIL, the French data protection authority.
The company advised users to check the security code at the bottom of Waltio emails against the codes displayed in their account profiles.
The timeline of violations shows a gap between the data appearing for sale and Waltio’s knowledge. Brinztech reported that a purported Waltio database appeared on a dark web marketplace on December 24, 2025.
Waltio said he received the extortion attempt on January 21, 2026, almost a month later. The company says it learned of the breach through an extortion attempt rather than dark web monitoring.
However, Brinztech’s report describes the list as containing names and phone numbers, data that Waltio says the platform does not collect.
It remains unclear whether the database identified by Brinztech in December is the same one referenced in the January extortion attempt against Waltio.
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As a Web3 Marketing Strategist and former DuckDAO CMO, Zoran Spirkovsky translates complex crypto concepts into compelling stories that drive growth. With a background in crypto journalism, he excels in developing go-to-market strategies for DeFi, L2, and GameFi projects.
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