Didi Taihuttu, patriarch of the so-called “Bitcoin Household,” has overhauled his digital asset safety setup following a wave of violent assaults focusing on crypto holders.
The household, identified for going all-in on Bitcoin in 2017, now hides parts of their personal keys throughout 4 continents. In a CNBC interview, Taihuttu mentioned he now makes use of a hybrid strategy as an alternative of relying solely on {hardware} wallets.
Taihuttu instructed CNBC that the household has modified all the pieces. “Even when somebody held me at gunpoint, I can’t give them greater than what’s on my pockets or my telephone. And that’s not rather a lot,” he mentioned.
The safety overhaul comes amid a wave of legal exercise, together with kidnappings and extortion makes an attempt geared toward crypto customers. Taihuttu mentioned the threats pressured them to rethink their safety technique.
Keys cut up, encrypted and saved globally
The household’s seed phrase is encrypted and cut up into 4 elements. Taihuttu mentioned it’s saved utilizing blockchain-based providers and fireproof metallic plates etched by hand. The plates are then hidden in bodily places worldwide, permitting the household to eradicate potential factors of failure of their safety system.
Taihuttu added a layer of private encryption to additional strengthen the setup by modifying some phrases within the seed phrase, making them unusable with out the correct context.
The household lives a nomadic way of life, travelling globally to advertise Bitcoin. Due to the rising menace to crypto holders, Taihuttu mentioned the household not posts real-time updates about their location on-line after receiving threats from people who tracked them utilizing social media.
Taihuttu mentioned about 65% of the household’s belongings at the moment are held in chilly storage below their new safety mannequin. Their sizzling wallets for buying and selling and bills are protected by multisignature protocols.
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Crypto-linked crimes spike as digital belongings surge
As digital asset costs rise, so have incidents of crypto-related crime. In late 2024 and early 2025, high-profile instances emerged in France, Pakistan, Australia and Canada, linking violent crimes to crypto possession.
In January, gang members in the UK had been convicted of kidnapping, torturing and extorting a crypto investor. In February, six males kidnapped a household of three in Chicago, demanding the switch of $15 million in crypto.
In March, streamer Kaitlyn Siragusa, referred to as “Amouranth” on-line, turned a sufferer of a house invasion, the place the perpetrators held her at gunpoint, demanding the switch of crypto belongings. In Might, South Korean police arrested a Russian nationwide after a failed $730,000 crypto theft.
On Might 13, three masked males tried to kidnap the daughter and grandson of Pierre Noizat, the co-founder and CEO of French crypto change Paymium. The suspects attacked Noizat’s daughter and a male associate whereas she was strolling along with her son in Paris.
The male associate was assaulted whereas Noizat’s daughter resisted, taking one of many weapons from the assailants. Individuals passing by ultimately intervened, forcing the attackers to flee the scene.
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