Internet Computer founder Dominic Williams has argued that decentralised passkey-based authentication could reduce personal security risks for digital asset holders, following reports of a home invasion in France linked to outdated cryptocurrency ownership information.
Williams made the comments after two men were sentenced by a French court for their role in an attempted home invasion targeting a property that lawyers say had previously been owned by cryptocurrency millionaires.
“The lives of Trezor owners are now at risk,” Williams wrote on social media, referring to concerns that criminals could use leaked personal information to identify and target digital asset holders at their homes.
He argued that Internet Identity, an authentication system introduced on the Internet Computer five years ago, was designed to avoid exposing users to some of the risks associated with traditional credential-based security systems. “Passkeys equal decentralised security,” he said.
The French case has drawn attention because the alleged attackers are believed to have acted on outdated information. Lawyers representing the current owners, a farmer and a bank executive in their twenties, say criminals may have obtained financial details connected to the property’s former owners, a retired couple who reportedly made substantial wealth through cryptocurrency.
According to reports from France, the house was targeted three times between June and July. During the second attack, one occupant was tied up and the other assaulted before the intruders fled. The latest attempted break-in was prevented by an alarm installed after the earlier incidents.
The two men sentenced this week received prison terms of three years and 18 months respectively.
The case has added to broader concerns about so-called “wrench attacks”, in which victims are threatened or assaulted in an attempt to force the transfer of digital assets.
Security researchers have increasingly argued that protecting wallet keys is only one part of the problem. Personal privacy, address exposure and data leaks can become physical security issues when criminals believe an individual may hold valuable digital assets.
Williams’ comments reflect a wider debate within the digital asset industry about whether authentication systems that rely on passkeys, biometrics and cryptographic credentials can offer stronger protection than password-based approaches, particularly when linked to decentralised identity systems.
The French case remains a reminder that security failures can extend beyond technology and into the real world when personal information becomes exposed.
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