The CEO of WonderFi, a Canadian publicly listed crypto holding company, has been released unharmed after a kidnapping incident. The company owns one of Canada's major crypto exchanges.

Crypto Executives Face Kidnappings

According to the CBC, Dean Skurka was forced into a car during rush hour in Toronto. The kidnappers demanded money for his release. Skurka paid a ransom of one million Canadian dollars ($720,660) and was subsequently freed without injury.

As the crypto bull market gains momentum—marked by Bitcoin ’s recent all-time high—cases of crypto-related kidnappings and extortion have also increased.

In a recent case, police in Thailand detained 12 individuals, including seven officers, in connection with an alleged crypto extortion ring. The group reportedly fabricated charges to extort USDT 10 million from a Chinese national.

Toronto Crime Rates Surge

In a public statement, Skurka confirmed that client funds and data were not affected by the incident.

Ontario police have reported a general rise in crime, including a record level of gun violence in the Greater Toronto Area. Meanwhile, Consensus 2025, a major crypto event, is set to take place in Toronto in May.

In 2017, Pavel Lerner, managing director of the EXMO crypto exchange, was kidnapped in Kiev, Ukraine, as reported by Finance Magnates.

According to local media, Lerner was forcibly dragged into a car by unknown individuals near his office on Stepan Bandera Street. The abduction took place in broad daylight, and he was taken to an unknown location.