Didi Taihuttu, patriarch of the so-called 'Bitcoin Family', has reviewed his digital asset security setup following a wave of violent attacks targeting cryptocurrency holders.
The family, known for betting everything on Bitcoin $BTC in 2017, now hides portions of their private keys across four continents. In an interview with CNBC, Taihuttu said he now uses a hybrid approach instead of solely relying on hardware wallets.
Taihuttu told CNBC that the family has changed everything. 'Even if someone pointed a gun at me, I can't give them more than what is in my wallet or on my phone. And that's not much,' he said.
The security review comes amid a wave of criminal activity, including kidnappings and extortion attempts targeting cryptocurrency users. Taihuttu said the threats forced them to rethink their security strategy.
Split keys, encrypted and stored globally
The family's seed phrase is encrypted and split into four parts. Taihuttu said it is stored using blockchain-based services and fireproof metal plates engraved by hand. The plates are then hidden in physical locations around the world, allowing the family to eliminate potential points of failure in their security system.
Taihuttu added a layer of personal encryption to further strengthen the setup by modifying some words in the seed phrase, rendering them unusable without the proper context.
The family lives a nomadic lifestyle, traveling around the world to promote Bitcoin. Due to the growing threat to cryptocurrency holders, Taihuttu said that the family no longer posts real-time updates about their location online after receiving threats from individuals who tracked them using social media.
Taihuttu said that approximately 65% of the family's assets are now stored in cold storage under their new security model. Their hot wallets for trading and expenses are protected through multi-signature protocols.
Crimes linked to cryptocurrencies surge as digital assets increase
As the prices of digital assets rise, so have the incidents of crimes related to cryptocurrencies. By the end of 2024 and early 2025, high-profile cases emerged in France, Pakistan, Australia, and Canada, linking violent crimes to the possession of cryptocurrencies.
In January, members of a gang in the UK were convicted for kidnapping, torturing, and extorting a cryptocurrency investor. In February, six men kidnapped a family of three in Chicago, demanding the transfer of $15 million in crypto.
In March, the streamer Kaitlyn Siragusa, known online as 'Amouranth', was the victim of a home invasion, where the perpetrators held her at gunpoint, demanding the transfer of crypto assets. In May, South Korean police arrested a Russian citizen following a failed attempt to steal $730,000 in cryptocurrencies.
On May 13, three masked men attempted to kidnap Pierre Noizat's daughter and grandson, co-founder and CEO of the French cryptocurrency exchange Paymium. The suspects attacked Noizat's daughter and a companion while she was walking with her son in Paris.
The companion was attacked while Noizat's daughter resisted, taking one of the weapons from the assailants. Bystanders eventually intervened, forcing the attackers to flee the scene.
