Ledger co-founder David Balland released after kidnapping: Bloomberg

Quick Take

  • Ledger co-founder David Balland has reportedly been freed after being kidnapped.
  • Balland was allegedly held captive for a day, during which kidnappers demanded a substantial ransom in cryptocurrency.

David Balland, retired co-founder of France-based crypto hardware wallet manufacturer Ledger, has reportedly been released after being kidnapped.

Balland was taken from his home in the early hours of Tuesday and freed Wednesday night following a police operation, Bloomberg reported Thursday, citing a statement from the Paris prosecutor’s office. The kidnappers reportedly demanded a significant ransom in cryptocurrency, according to the prosecutor’s office.

After the abduction, Balland was reportedly transported to another location, where he was held captive. Emergency services are currently treating him, per the prosecutor’s office.

The news comes a day after rumors surfaced about the kidnapping of Ledger’s other co-founder, Eric Larchevêque. However, Grégory Raymond, co-founder of France-based crypto news and research outlet The Big Whale, clarified that the rumors were inaccurate and that Larchevêque was not involved in any kidnapping incident.

The Block reached out to Ledger for comment on Thursday. Ledger declined to make a statement on Wednesday amid the rumors.


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About Author

Yogita Khatri is a senior reporter at The Block and the author of The Funding newsletter. As our longest-serving editorial member, Yogita has been instrumental in breaking numerous stories, exclusives and scoops. With over 3,000 articles to her name, Yogita is The Block's most-published and most-read author of all time. Before joining The Block, Yogita wrote for CoinDesk and The Economic Times. You can reach her at [email protected] or follow her latest updates on X at @Yogita_Khatri5.

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