Ledger co-founder David Balland had been kidnapped on Tuesday
Earlier stories claimed the opposite Ledger co-founder Eric Larchevêque was the one kidnapped
The abductors reportedly demanded a big quantity of ransom in crypto
Kidnappers have launched David Balland, a retired co-founder of crypto {hardware} pockets maker Ledger.
Balland, who had been kidnapped on Tuesday, was reportedly launched late Wednesday after an operation by French police. Bloomberg first reported on the information of the Ledger co-founder’s launch on Thursday, January 23.
Ransom demand in cryptocurrency
In line with a press release from the Paris prosecutor’s workplace, Balland’s kidnappers had put up a big ransom demand. The criminals requested for the ransom to be paid in cryptocurrency.
French every day newspaper Le Parisien additionally confirmed that the Ledger co-founder had been rescued by the Nationwide Gendarmerie Intervention Group, France’s elite counter-terrorism police unit.
🔴 Enlevé et séquestré, David Balland, cofondateur de l’entreprise de cryptomonnaies Ledger, a été secouru ce mercredi par le GIGN
Les kidnappeurs auraient envoyé un doigt dans le cadre de leur demande de remise d’argent.
Des recherches se poursuivent➡️ https://t.co/9PWZWo03iM pic.twitter.com/NVMPqcweje
— Le Parisien (@le_Parisien) January 23, 2025
Information of Balland’s launch comes a day after stories emerged {that a} Ledger government had been kidnapped in Paris.
The rumours talked about Eric Larchevêque, additionally a co-founder of the France-based crypto firm. Shortly after the rumours started, crypto information outlet The Huge Whale’s co-founder Grégory Raymond famous that stories of Larchevêque’s kidnapping have been inaccurate.
🔴 NEWS @TheBigWhale_
We’re capable of guarantee that @EricLarch (co-founder of @Ledger) shouldn’t be concerned within the kidnapping rumor about him
Watch out with printed data that might threaten an ongoing investigation in France and probably another person’s life
— Grégory Raymond 🐳 (@gregory_raymond) January 22, 2025
Raymond additionally posted an replace on X confirming Balland had been launched and that police have been nonetheless investigating the matter.
