‘The Sandbox’ Co-Founder’s Wife Targeted in Crypto Kidnapping Attempt: Report

The wife of Sébastien Borget, co-founder of metaverse gaming platform The Sandbox, was the target of a kidnapping attempt at their French home this week, according to reports in local media.

According to police sources quoted in Le Journal de Dimanchea person approached the Borget residence in Villenoy, Seine-et-Marne, disguised as a delivery person and carrying a cardboard box. When Borget’s wife opened the gate, five accomplices rushed into the courtyard and tried to drag her into a Citroën C3, but gave up the kidnap attempt when neighbors intervened.

In connection with the alleged kidnapping attempt, two teenagers were arrested, identified as Mateo V., born in 2010, and Walid H., born in 2009, both from Pantin in Seine-Saint-Denis.

Authorities allegedly discovered the pair with a fake gun, zip ties and balaclavas during their arrest. Four others suspected of taking part in the incident are still on the run.

In one tweetBorget said he was “truly touched” by the messages of support he had received following the incident, adding: “Thank you for the outpouring of love, thoughtful messages and deeply caring words for my family.”

France and crypto kidnappings

France has emerged as the epicenter of so-called “key attacks,” threatening crypto owners with kidnapping and physical violence to force them to give up access to their purses. Per J.D.Dthe National Directorate of the Judicial Police has recorded 41 crypto-linked kidnapping attempts since the beginning of the year.

To date, a total of 135 crypto-related kidnapping incidents have been documented in France since 2023 – representing almost 80% of all European cases. The surge has prompted urgent government action, with 88 people charged in twelve active legal investigations, and increased security concerns among blockchain executives.

Last month, Jonathan Riss, Blockchain Intelligence Analyst at CertiK, said Declutter that France is “among the top three countries in the world for personal data breaches,” citing a leak at the national identity agency ANTS that exposed the personal data of 12 million citizens.

The latest kidnapping attempt follows several high-profile crimes targeting cryptocurrencies in the country, including the kidnapping and mutilation of Ledger co-founder David Balland, an attempted home invasion targeting the CEO of Binance France, and the kidnapping of a magistrate and her mother for crypto ransom.

French officials have scrambled to tackle the crisis. During the Paris Blockchain Week 2026, Minister Delegate Jean-Didier Berger said preventive measures revealed including a dedicated prevention platform, while selected French cryptocurrency entrepreneurs and their families have been assigned improved safety.