A Canadian crypto entrepreneur survived a kidnapping attempt Monday night on one of Madrid’s busiest nightlife streets, after witnesses alerted police and helped foil the attack.
The incident occurred at approximately 11 p.m. near the intersection of Calle Claudio Coello and Calle Jorge Juan in the Salamanca district, a hub of high-end restaurants and bars.
The victim had just left Lobito de Mar, the restaurant owned by chef Dani García, when three men forcibly removed him from the street, pepper-sprayed him, and threw him into a Ford Transit van.
Several pedestrians and residents on nearby balconies immediately called authorities. Spanish National Police tracked the vehicle to Ronda de Toledo, about 15 minutes from the scene, and arrested two of the attackers. One suspect escaped and remains at large, according to reports.
Police identified the arrested suspects as Serbian men, ages 33 and 45, both with no prior criminal record.
Investigators say the attackers had planned the abduction to extract the victim’s cryptocurrency passwords and gain access to his digital assets. The suspects also attempted to steal the Canadian’s €100,000 luxury watch.
Authorities determined the kidnappers had followed the businessman from Barcelona to Madrid, where he had traveled to finalize a cryptocurrency deal.
The van used in the crime had an altered license plate, rented specifically for the abduction, and contained plastic zip ties and sedative pills, suggesting a premeditated scheme. GPS data recovered from the vehicle indicated the suspects intended to transport the victim to Petrer, a town in Alicante.
Inside the van, the victim was left alone while police focused on detaining the suspects. He freed himself from the zip ties and flagged down a taxi, which took him to La Princesa Hospital for treatment of injuries sustained during the initial assault. Police recovered firearms from the van during their investigation.
Be careful with your crypto
The kidnapping aligns with a recent rise in physical attacks targeting cryptocurrency holders across Europe. France, for example, has recorded 11 similar incidents so far in 2026, reflecting a trend of criminals seeking direct access to digital assets rather than traditional bank accounts.
Security experts refer to such attacks as “wrench attacks,” in which criminals attempt to obtain wallet seed phrases or private keys through coercion or violence.
Authorities warn that cryptocurrency entrepreneurs are increasingly at risk due to the digital and highly liquid nature of their assets.
Police continue to search for the third suspect and have appealed to the public for information.
The investigation remains open, with officers examining surveillance footage and digital evidence to determine whether the plot involved additional collaborators or extended surveillance beyond the two confirmed attackers.
