French cryptocurrency executive Pierre Noizat lauded his “heroic” son-in-law and a neighbor armed with a fire extinguisher for preventing the attempted kidnapping of his pregnant daughter and young grandson on Friday, May 16, 2025. The incident, which occurred earlier in the week, marks the latest attack on a crypto trader in Paris, prompting calls for increased security measures.
On Tuesday morning, four masked men attacked Noizat’s daughter, the CEO and co-founder of the French cryptocurrency exchange platform Paymium, her husband, and their child in Paris’s 11th arrondissement. All three sustained minor injuries and were hospitalized.
Noizat praised his son-in-law’s heroism and the exemplary actions of a neighbor who used a fire extinguisher against the attackers. The son-in-law, who required only a few stitches, fought off the attackers with the help of neighbors. Video footage shows the couple resisting, with the husband being beaten with blunt objects. Passers-by were drawn to the scene by the victims’ screams, and one man confronted the attackers with a fire extinguisher, causing them to flee in a van.
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During their escape, the attackers dropped an airsoft gun. Noizat reported that his daughter is “as well as can be expected” and “very strong.”
This incident follows several high-profile cases in France, including the January abduction of Ledger crypto firm co-founder David Balland, who had his finger cut off by kidnappers.
Following an emergency meeting on Friday, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau announced plans to bolster the security of crypto professionals, including close collaboration between police and crypto professionals, priority access to emergency call numbers, and home safety consultations.
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