- Learning to fight can be helpful in rare situations, advises Tom Matthews.
- But situational awareness and staying vigilant are far more important.
- Last year was a record year for physical attacks on crypto investors and entrepreneurs.
Forget bone-snapping arm bars and chokeholds.
Tom Matthews tells clients instead to focus on simple yet devastating strikes to vulnerable areas if they ever find themselves in physical danger.
It can take years to learn a leg triangle grapple — but anyone can punch someone in the throat.
“Get real gnarly,” the ex-Secret Service member who now serves as head of physical security at crypto firm Asymmetric Security told DL News.
“Aim for the eyes, things that people don’t really prepare for. The throat, the groin.”
It’s part of why he advises simple fighting styles — such as boxing or Krav Maga, the self-defence technique developed for the Israel Defence Forces — to crypto investors who fear violent attacks to steal their digital assets.
Cut-off fingers
It’s a real threat.
Last year was the worst year on record for so-called wrench attacks, with victims being tortured and having fingers cut off.
Now, experts warn it will get even more brutal in 2026.
“My first conference in crypto was an FTX conference in the Bahamas.”
— Tom Matthews, head of physical security at Asymmetric Security
There have already been nearly a dozen violent attacks or kidnappings of crypto entrepreneurs, investors and their loved ones since the start of the year.
In January, three teens disguised as delivery drivers entered a man’s house in England and threatened him with knives until he handed over his crypto. Individuals in France attacked a family in order to extort them for their cryptocurrencies last month.
In an ideal world, however, Matthews’s crypto clients are taking steps well in advance to avoid ever encountering dangerous altercations like those.
If crypto investors are ever cornered, Matthews still advises them to just hand over their crypto.
“If someone is armed and they are asking for things, you give up the keys to the castle,” said Matthews.
After years in the Marine Corps and a nearly two-year stint with the US Secret Service, Matthews has found a new home in the private sector following a shoulder injury.
Increasingly, that’s been executives in the digital assets industry.
Katy Perry concert
In 2022, Matthews found himself leading security for Jump Trading’s crypto group, Jump Crypto.
While there, he had a front row seat to the collapse of Terra’s algorithmic stablecoin in 2022 and worked through the $320 million Wormhole hack in 2023. Jump Trading was a large backer of both ventures.
Other experiences were surreal for different reasons.
“My first conference in crypto was an FTX conference in the Bahamas,” he said. “Katy Perry did a concert for like 50 People.”
As one of FTX exchange’s largest users, Jump Trading lost nearly $300 million when Sam Bankman-Fried’s crypto exchange collapsed in November 2022, according to financial journalist Michael Lewis.
While hacks and phishing scams continue to haunt the crypto industry, the startling rise of physical attacks has added a much more sinister dimension to the challenge of staying safe.
It’s why Matthews joined Asymmetric Research in June.
The cybersecurity company had received so much inbound interest for physical protection that the founders tapped Matthews to spin up a new division.
“We realised that the threat surface for our partners extends beyond smart contracts and infrastructure,” Jonathan Claudius, the co-founder and CEO of Asymmetric Research, told DL News. “Adding physical security was a natural move toward a more complete security model for the partners we already support.”
That doesn’t mean Matthews only gives founders and developers fighting lessons.
Mostly, he just wants them to put their phones down.
How to stay safe
Matthews’ biggest tip for staying safe in the industry is simply being present.
“Not being tied to your phone, not being completely locked in your work world,” he said. “You would be shocked by how many wrench attacks we could stop if we just had good situational awareness.”
He also suggests varying routines to make yourself harder to predict. Moreover, avoid posting extravagant pictures on social media flaunting your wealth, where you’re staying or of your family. At crypto conferences, take off the lanyard and try to avoid crypto t-shirts.
Matthews recommends incorporating a “kidnapping and ransom” policy, too.
“You just pick up the phone, and there’s a hostage negotiation team that will pay your ransom or your kidnappers‘ money, so that way you won’t lose any fingers and toes,” he said.
Though Matthews focuses on physical security, there’s plenty you can do to protect yourself online as well.
Pseudonymous security analyst Tanuki42, for instance, advises against using the Ethereum Name Service to link you to a large amount of crypto.
“It serves zero purpose other than painting a big target on your back,” Tanuki42, who also works with the cybersecurity team Seal911, told DL News.
They encourage the use of multi-signature wallets or so-called timelocks that won’t allow anyone to access funds until a specific period has passed. Tanuki42 also encourages the use of privacy-enhancing tools such as Railgun or privacy pools.
Both Matthews and Tanuki42 recommend keeping a small amount of crypto in a hot wallet with you in case the worst happens.
“Enough to make the bad guys happy, and enough that way you won’t get your toes and your fingers cut off,” said Matthews.
Liam Kelly is DL News’ Berlin-based DeFi correspondent. Have a tip? Get in touch at liam@dlnews.com.
