A court in Brussels has sentenced three men to 12 years in prison for the December 2024 abduction of the wife of Belgian crypto investor and content creator Stephane Winkel.
The sentencing, handed down on Thursday, comes as European authorities face a rising number of crypto-linked kidnapping cases.
According to prosecutors, the group snatched Winkel’s wife outside their home on December 20 and forced her into a van registered in France. The attackers then attempted to flee toward the Belgian coast.
Winkel immediately contacted the police, triggering a swift response. Officers intercepted the van near Bruges, forcing it into a ditch and arresting the three adults inside. A fourth suspect, a minor, was referred to juvenile court.
Three Jailed in Winkel Kidnapping, But Crypto Plot’s Masterminds Still Unknown
Local media outlet La Dernière Heure reported that the kidnappers were convicted of hostage-taking and attempting to extort cryptocurrency as ransom.
During the trial, the defendants claimed they had been acting under threat from unnamed “sponsors” who would have killed them if they refused. The court dismissed this version of events, describing the crime as a deliberate and professional hostage operation.
Authorities believe the kidnapping was financially motivated, with investigators linking it to other crypto-related abduction attempts in Belgium and neighboring France.
While the court has now sentenced those who physically carried out the act, the broader investigation remains active, and officials have yet to identify the masterminds behind the operation.
In addition to prison time, the court also ordered the convicted men to pay over €1 million (around $1.2 million) in damages to the victim. Winkel and his wife, who were deeply shaken by the event, have since relocated for safety reasons.
Winkel, a well-known figure in the Belgian crypto space, runs educational platforms including Crypto Académie and Crypto Sun. He also operates a YouTube channel with nearly 40,000 subscribers, where he previously offered wallet demonstrations, market commentary, and contests.
Following the attack, Winkel stepped back from public appearances. In a January post on X, he wrote, “I consider myself a defender of freedom, but I now realize that safety must become an absolute priority for me and those around me.”
He pledged to return to crypto education, but with a different approach, one that avoids personal exposure and high-risk demonstrations. “No more contests or wallet demonstrations,” he said, instead promising to focus on market analysis and user protection.
Winkel reappeared on YouTube in late June, releasing his first video since the incident. This time, the video featured only voiceover narration, no on-camera presence.
While the sentencing marks progress in the case, authorities continue their search for those believed to have orchestrated the plot.
The Belgian police confirmed that investigations are ongoing into what they describe as an expanding network behind a series of targeted kidnappings in the European crypto sector.
Global Wave of Crypto-Related Kidnappings Intensifies
The case of the Belgian family is not an isolated incident. Around the world, crypto investors with public profiles are becoming prime targets in a disturbing trend of high-stakes abductions.
A recent report noted that Australian crypto billionaire Tim Heath, last July, narrowly escaped a kidnapping attempt in Tallinn, Estonia. Heath, founder of Yolo Group, was ambushed by two men posing as painters.
One of them, a former boxer from Azerbaijan, tried to muffle Heath’s screams, only to lose part of his finger when Heath bit down in self-defense.
Court records revealed the attackers had tracked Heath’s movements using a GPS device and planned to transport him to a rented sauna house to force a crypto transfer.
France has seen a similar spike. In June, a TikTok crypto influencer was abducted and beaten in Essonne after attackers demanded €50,000 in crypto. When his attackers found his wallet nearly empty, they released him.
Days later, another man was held hostage in Paris while his kidnappers demanded his Ledger wallet and cash. His partner was coerced into handing over €5,000 before he was freed.
Notably, according to Bitcoin security advocate Jameson Lopp, at least 32 “wrench attacks” have occurred in 2025 so far, nearly one-third in France, surpassing prior years in scale and coordination.
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