Didi Taihuttu, patriarch of the so-called “Bitcoin Household,” has overhauled his digital asset safety setup following a wave of violent assaults concentrating on crypto holders.
The household, identified 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 advised CNBC that the household has modified every thing. “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 rather a lot,” he stated.
The safety overhaul comes amid a wave of prison exercise, together with kidnappings and extortion makes an attempt aimed toward crypto customers. Taihuttu stated 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 components. Taihuttu stated it’s saved utilizing blockchain-based providers and fireproof metallic 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 non-public 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 life-style, travelling globally to promote Bitcoin. Due to the growing risk to crypto holders, Taihuttu stated the household not posts real-time updates about their location on-line after receiving threats from people who tracked them utilizing social media.
Taihuttu stated about 65% of the household’s property are actually held in chilly storage beneath 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 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 had 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 Might, South Korean police arrested a Russian nationwide after a failed $730,000 crypto robbery.
On Might 13, three masked males attempted to kidnap the daughter and grandson of Pierre Noizat, the co-founder and CEO of French crypto trade Paymium. The suspects attacked Noizat’s daughter and a male accomplice whereas she was strolling along with her son in Paris.
The male accomplice 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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