David Balland Released After Kidnapping

David Balland, the 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 was freed Wednesday night following a police operation, according to Bloomberg. This information comes from a statement issued by the Paris prosecutor’s office. The kidnappers had reportedly demanded a significant ransom in cryptocurrency.

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

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

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