Didi Taihuttu, patriarch of the so-called “Bitcoin Family,” has overhauled his digital asset safety setup following a wave of violent assaults concentrating on crypto holders.
The household, recognized for going all-in on Bitcoin in 2017, now hides parts of their non-public keys throughout 4 continents. In a CNBC interview, Taihuttu said he now makes use of a hybrid strategy as a substitute of relying solely on {hardware} wallets.
Taihuttu informed 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 cellphone. And that’s not loads,” he mentioned.
The safety overhaul comes amid a wave of felony exercise, together with kidnappings and extortion makes an attempt aimed toward crypto customers. Taihuttu mentioned the threats pressured them to rethink their safety technique.
Keys break up, encrypted and saved globally
The household’s seed phrase is encrypted and break up into 4 elements. Taihuttu mentioned it’s saved utilizing blockchain-based providers and fireproof steel plates etched by hand. The plates are then hidden in bodily areas worldwide, permitting the household to remove 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 right context.
The household lives a nomadic life-style, travelling globally to promote Bitcoin. Due to the growing 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 property at the moment are held in chilly storage below their new safety mannequin. Their sizzling wallets for buying and selling and bills are protected via multisignature protocols.
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Crypto-linked crimes spike as digital property 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 ownership.
In January, gang members in the UK have been convicted of kidnapping, torturing and extorting a crypto investor. In February, six males kidnapped a family of three in Chicago, demanding the switch of $15 million in crypto.
In March, streamer Kaitlyn Siragusa, generally known as “Amouranth” on-line, became a victim of a home invasion, the place the perpetrators held her at gunpoint, demanding the switch of crypto property. In Could, South Korean police arrested a Russian nationwide after a failed $730,000 crypto robbery.
On Could 13, three masked males attempted 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 companion whereas she was strolling together with her son in Paris.
The male companion was assaulted whereas Noizat’s daughter resisted, taking one of many weapons from the assailants. Folks passing by finally intervened, forcing the attackers to flee the scene.
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