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Three Florida teenagers are facing charges of kidnapping, robbery, and extortion after allegedly abducting a man at gunpoint and stealing $4 million in crypto and non-fungible tokens. According to local media , two of the suspects, both 16 years old from Pasco County, Florida, are being tried as adults, with one held on $4 million bail and the other placed under house arrest with electronic monitoring. A third teen reportedly fled the country and remains at large. The trio allegedly ambushed the victim in November after he was returning home from hosting a crypto event in Downtown Las Vegas, before driving him more than 70 miles out to a remote desert area near White Hills, Arizona. There, the victim was threatened and told that if he didn’t cooperate, he wouldn’t “live to see another day.” He was also warned that his father would be killed if he resisted. Under pressure, he handed over passwords to his crypto accounts, giving the attackers access to millions in digital assets, including NFTs. After draining his accounts, the teens allegedly dumped him in the desert, leaving him to walk five miles to a gas station where he managed to call a friend for help. Investigators believe a fourth person may have been involved remotely. According to police reports, the victim overheard a phone call on speaker during the ordeal, suggesting someone was directing the teenagers or communicating with them in real time. Authorities have not yet identified this individual, but suspect they played a key role in orchestrating the attack. The FBI is also assisting local law enforcement in the investigation, and a preliminary hearing for the two teens in custody is scheduled for June. The incident adds to a rising number of violent crimes linked to digital assets, as crypto holders become increasingly targeted by kidnappers and extortionists. As previously covered on crypto.news, earlier this year, Ledger co-founder David Balland was kidnapped from his home in France, with the abductors reportedly demanding a cryptocurrency ransom. He was rescued two days later in a police operation described by authorities as “ultra-sensitive.” A few months earlier, Malaysian authorities arrested 14 individuals in connection with the kidnapping of two victims in Cyberjaya. The attackers received a $1.2 million ransom in crypto before releasing the hostages. Four suspects remain at large. According to a GitHub list maintained by Casa co-founder Jameson Lopp, there have been 21 offline crypto robberies reported so far in 2025, following 28 incidents in 2024.

Three Florida teens have been accused of kidnapping a man at gunpoint outside his Las Vegas apartment, stealing about $4 million in digital assets and NFTs before abandoning him in a remote Arizona desert. The attack occurred in November 2024, after the victim left a crypto event at a Downtown Las Vegas business. After returning to his apartment and parking his vehicle, the Florida teens ambushed him at gunpoint and forced him into the back seat of their vehicle. According to authorities, the teens have been identified as Belal Ashraf, Austin Fletcher, and a third unnamed suspect. The criminals placed a towel over the head of the victim, warning him not to look at them. According to the victim, the Florida teens said that if he wanted to live to see another day, he should cooperate with them. They also threatened to kill the victim and his father if he failed to comply. According to the authorities, the victim was asked, under duress, to hand over passwords and grant access to his crypto accounts. Throughout the attack, the victim mentioned that the suspects seemed to be acting under the instructions of a fourth party who was dishing out commands over the speakerphone of a mobile device. The fourth suspect looked like he was in charge of the whole operation, directing the extortion in real time. The trio allegedly drove the victim to White Hills, Arizona, about 70 miles from Las Vegas, where they carried out the crime. After draining the victim of about $4 million in several digital assets and NFT s, they dumped him in the desert and fled. The victim said he managed to walk about five miles before he came across a gas station where he reached out for help. According to investigators, they tracked a suspect vehicle making its way from Florida to Nevada, stopping at several key locations, including the victim’s apartment complex. In Mississippi, the police mentioned that they recovered a firearm tied to one of the suspects’ family members. The police mentioned that the weapon matched the one that was used in one of the videos made by the suspects on social media. Authorities have now charged Ashraf and Fletcher, who are both 16 and from Pasco County in Florida, on allegations of robbery, kidnapping, and extortion, alongside their third unidentified accomplice, who prosecutors believe has fled the United States. According to court documents, the teen had records of disruption at their Florida high school, including swearing in different languages and physically confronting school staff. At Fletcher’s probable cause hearing, the Las Vegas Justice Court Judge Daniel West Meyer set bail at $4 million, while Ashraf was granted release under electronic monitoring. There has been a rise in kidnappings and extortion attempts targeting individuals linked to digital assets, including investors, public figures, and entrepreneurs. One of the latest incidents was that of Texas-based streamer Amouranth, who suffered a home invasion in March. The armed suspects held her at gunpoint and demanded access to her crypto holdings. The police later arrested four individuals in connection with the attack. Outside of the United States, there have been three kidnappings in France, with the latest one the kidnapping of an aged father of a crypto millionaire. The criminal was said to have severed one of his fingers to pressure his son into conceding to their demands. Another one was the kidnapping of Ledger co-founder David Balland. Law enforcement agencies globally have been warning individuals holding a significant portion of digital assets to ensure they use enhanced security protocols to safeguard themselves. KEY Difference Wire helps crypto brands break through and dominate headlines fast

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Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong revealed that the company once debated copying Michael Saylor’s aggressive Bitcoin-buying strategy. The 42-year-old billionaire, during a live Q&A session via X on May 9, discussed details regarding Coinbase’s balance sheet. While Armstrong considered putting most of the balance sheet into crypto, he ultimately chose a more cautious path. “There were definitely moments over the last 12 years where we thought, man, should we put 80% of our balance sheet into crypto — into Bitcoin specifically,” Armstrong said. Such a move could’ve jeopardized Coinbase’s early financial stability, he explained. While the exchange still holds $1.3 billion in crypto, mainly Bitcoin ( BTC ), CFO Alesia Haas — who also participated in the Q&A — emphasized they aim to support customers, not compete with them. Meanwhile, Saylor continues to scoop up Bitcoin and fill MicroStrategy’s coffers. Recently, the company spent over $1.42 billion on 15,355 BTC, with an average price of $92,737 per Bitcoin. MicroStrategy, now going as “Strategy,” boasts total Bitcoin holdings of 553,555 BTC. That’s about 2.5% of the total supply. It’s expected to end 2025 with 691,249 BTC, up from a prior estimate of 601,029. In an earnings call on May 1, Saylor addressed Bitcoin’s volatility concerns directly and claimed that over 70 publicly traded companies are participating in the so-called “digital gold rush.” For example, logistics firm Freight Technologies recently struck a $20 million deal with an institutional investor to purchase cryptocurrency — but opted for Official Trump ( TRUMP ) memecoins over Bitcoin. Various analysts also remain bullish , as the Bitcoin-reserve model continues to gain traction. Firms like Twenty One Capital and Strive Enterprises are emulating the “Strategy” strategy. Some see huge stock surges, like Next Technology Holding, which jumped 700% after boosting its Bitcoin stash.