Crypto's Scariest Threat Isn't Online — Physical 'Wrench Attacks' Have Cost Victims Over $100 Million in 2026 Alone

WHY IT MATTERS

Imagine you kept all your savings in a safe at home instead of a bank. If someone broke in and forced you to open it, the money would be gone — no bank to call, no fraud department to reverse the charge. That's essentially what's happening with these "wrench attacks." In crypto, many people store their own funds using something called "self-custody," meaning they control their money directly with a secret password (called a private key or seed phrase). This gives them full control — but it also means criminals can target them physically and force them to hand everything over instantly and irreversibly. It's a reminder that owning crypto comes with real-world safety considerations, not just digital ones.