Some of the payments paid after the abduction of Ledger have been frozen, and the French police arrested 10 suspects

PANews reported on January 24 that according to Fortune and other media reports, David Balland, the co-founder of the well-known French encryption company Ledger, and his wife were successfully rescued after being kidnapped on January 23. The kidnappers demanded a ransom in cryptocurrency, part of which was paid but later traced and frozen.

Event details:

• On January 21, the Ballands were abducted from their home in the French province of Cher and taken to different locations.

• The kidnappers contacted another Ledger co-founder and demanded ransom, part of which was paid in cryptocurrency.

• The French Gendarmerie Special Forces GIGN intervened and rescued Balland on January 22, and found his wife the next day.

During the kidnapping, Balland suffered an injury to his hand and is currently hospitalized. His wife was not physically injured but is under psychological supervision. The police arrested 10 suspects, all aged between 20 and 40, most of whom had criminal records. The kidnappers could face life in prison if found guilty.

Ledger CEO Pascal Gauthier expressed his gratitude to law enforcement for their prompt action and emphasized that security measures will be further strengthened.