Faced with rising threats to crypto investors around the world, Didi Taihuttu—the patriarch of the “Bitcoin Family”—says he’s revamped his entire security approach. After a series of high-profile kidnappings targeting crypto holders and executives, Taihuttu no longer trusts traditional cold storage methods and has opted for an elaborate, decentralized system to secure his family’s fortune.
Speaking from Phuket, Thailand, Taihuttu told CNBC that his family abandoned conventional hardware wallets in favor of a blend of encrypted digital storage and old-school metal seed plates. These pieces of the family’s multi-million-dollar crypto portfolio are now distributed across four continents. Even if coerced, Taihuttu explained, he can’t access the full stash. “There’s only a limited amount on my phone,” he said. “And that’s intentional.”
The Bitcoin Family has become something of a crypto legend. Back in 2017, they famously sold their house and all their belongings to invest entirely in Bitcoin when it was trading around $900. They’ve since traveled the world unbanked, raising three daughters while living off their digital assets. But now, they’re matching ideology with airtight operational security—encrypting keys through blockchain tools, splitting seed phrases, and embedding metal backups in geographically distant vaults.
As Crypto Kidnappings Rise, Industry Rethinks Physical Risk
What began as an eccentric way to store wealth has now become a survival strategy. In 2022, Didi Taihuttu shared how he concealed hardware wallets in secret locations worldwide—from spare drawers in European rentals to locked storage units in South America. But as crypto-targeted abductions surge, even seasoned holders like Taihuttu are upgrading their defenses.
This week, Moroccan police arrested a 24-year-old accused of coordinating a series of kidnappings targeting cryptocurrency executives. Among the most disturbing cases: the father of a crypto investor was allegedly held captive in a house outside Paris—his finger reportedly severed in a bid to pressure his son.
In another chilling incident earlier this year, a co-founder of Ledger, the French wallet manufacturer, was abducted along with his wife in central France. The crime, believed to be part of a larger extortion plot, also targeted another Ledger executive.
Stateside, the trend is just as alarming. Last month in New York, authorities reported that an Italian tourist was held hostage for 17 days in a Manhattan apartment. His captors allegedly tortured him in an attempt to obtain his bitcoin wallet password—using electrical shocks, physical beatings, and even strapping an Apple AirTag to his neck for surveillance.
The growing frequency and brutality of these attacks are forcing the crypto world to face an uncomfortable reality: digital assets may be decentralized and encrypted, but the people holding them are not.
Crypto Wealth Spurs Rise in Kidnap Insurance Market
As threats against crypto holders escalate, a new market is quietly emerging: kidnap and ransom insurance tailored specifically to the digital wealth class. But for Didi Taihuttu, patriarch of the “Bitcoin Family,” corporate protection isn’t enough—and he’s decided to decentralize his personal safety just as radically as his finances.
Speaking from Thailand, where his family has been based for months, Taihuttu said the specter of violence is no longer hypothetical—it’s something he and his three daughters actively discuss. One recent story that struck a nerve was the attempted kidnapping of a CEO’s daughter in France, an incident that left a lasting impression on his children. “They’re asking us questions now—about plans, about what we’d do if someone came after us,” he said.
In response, the family has made serious adjustments. France, once a regular stop on their nomadic lifestyle, is now off the table. So are frequent location updates and travel vlogs, after Taihuttu began receiving eerie messages from people who claimed to have triangulated his whereabouts from his content.
