Co-founder of French crypto firm Ledger freed after kidnapping, Paris prosecutors say
Discussion
This is legit scary. Kidnappers would know that Balland has a strong security practice. Perhaps his threat model included a decoy wallet that was enough to satisfy these criminals?
We can use a multi-sig service like nostr:npub1casacasahesdrpu6npfth2t0ae37a2cdwwg3c4fkt30v7gzffx3q7wtzdc from, but nothing can really stop a determined criminalâŠ. I guess thatâs why nostr:npub17u5dneh8qjp43ecfxr6u5e9sjamsmxyuekrg2nlxrrk6nj9rsyrqywt4tp is always armed to the teeth?
Pretty sure he would have had a Coldcard if he had any kind of stack.
Heâs the cofounder of Ledger, in case you didnât see that.
I did see that, you apparently missed my point.
What is your point, exactly? That if he had a Coldcard he wouldnât have been a target? Or that he wouldnât have lost a finger?
Just some dry humour....if you know a lot about Ledger, 3why would you use it for a serious stack?
He co-founded the company.
Yes exactly, you missed it again. He knows better than anyone that Ledger is good security maybe, but certainly not private.
Same as how Zuck probably doesn't let his kids use FB.
I was just being hilarious.
Youâre right, I *am* missing it. Are you saying that Coldcard is better because itâs more private?
I just donât get how that would have avoided this attack on him. It doesnât matter what wallet he used (though it would make sense that, if he used multiple, at least one of his wallets would be a Ledger).
What matters is that he is a wealthy and well-known co-founder of a crypto company, who also made an error in judgement with a flex by posting photos of his house online. To me, this doesnât bear any weight on the brand of wallet one chooses. Rather, it emphasizes the importance of keeping a low profile.
In Ballandâs case, as with all crypto-focused companies and (soon) all companies that hold bitcoin on their balance sheets, the implication is that these individuals have access to what stupid criminals still believe is untraceable â despite bitcoin being recorded on a public blockchain and thus repeatedly proven as being the WORST place to commit crimes, regardless of what Elizabeth Warren and Digiconimist say.
PSA: Itâs okay to talk *about* bitcoin but, to paraphrase Tyler Durden, âThe first two rules of bitcoin are YOU DO NOT TALK ABOUT *YOUR* BITCOIN.â
"Are you saying that Coldcard is better because itâs more private?"
Definitely yes, and for other reasons too.
"I just donât get how that would have avoided this attack on him."
I never made that claim.
"YOU DO NOT TALK ABOUT *YOUR* BITCOIN"
Especially with Ledger, which is what you are doing if you use them.