The 2025 full-year report records approximately 60 "wrench attack" incidents, setting a historical record. The actual number may be much higher.

On January 2nd, Ari Redbord, Head of Global Policy and Government Affairs at the crypto analysis firm TRM Labs, stated: “2025 will be a record year for wrench attacks,” with approximately 60 incidents of entity attacks targeting crypto asset holders reported throughout the year. This number is significantly higher than the second-highest known wrench attack count in 2024 (about 41 cases) and 2021 (36 cases). Although the true number of wrench attacks is difficult to quantify precisely, the risk to victims is indeed increasing, or at least public awareness of such threats is rising. “The actual figures could be far higher,” Redbord added, “many cases are only recorded as ordinary robberies or burglaries, with the crypto element overlooked; others are never reported due to victims’ hesitation or doubts about law enforcement’s ability to handle crypto-related crimes.” The term “wrench attack” refers to a cybersecurity risk based on a concept: even the most sophisticated encryption and data security measures can be broken through physical coercion—similar to a scenario where someone is threatened with a “five-dollar wrench.”