A surge in violent kidnappings and extortion targeting cryptocurrency holders is prompting prominent figures in the crypto world to radically rethink their security practices.
Among them is Didi Taihuttu, the patriarch of the widely known “Bitcoin Family,” who has significantly revamped how he protects his digital assets.
Following a spate of global attacks on crypto owners, Taihuttu revealed in a CNBC interview that his family has adopted a decentralised, hybrid security model—moving away from exclusive reliance on hardware wallets.
They now store fragments of their private keys across four continents.
The Taihuttus—Didi, his wife Romaine, and their daughters Joli, Juna, and Jessa—rose to fame in 2017 after liquidating their assets to live entirely on Bitcoin.
Their decision to go “bankless” turned them into symbolic pioneers of the crypto lifestyle.
Taihuttu explained that the family has changed everything:
“Even if someone held me at gunpoint, I can’t give them more than what’s on my wallet or my phone. And that’s not a lot.”
Now, faced with rising physical threats, they have embraced an intricate, global security strategy.
Over the past eight months, the Bitcoin Family has transitioned from relying solely on hardware wallets to a sophisticated hybrid security system that blends digital and analog methods.
In a move designed to thwart potential attackers, Taihuttu has split the family's 24-word Bitcoin seed phrase into four parts—each consisting of six words—and stored them across four different continents.
Taihuttu explained:
“Even if someone finds 18 of the 24 words, they can’t do anything.”
Accessing their cold wallet now requires retrieving all four segments, meaning Taihuttu must make at least one international trip to unlock funds.
However, adding to the wallet remains straightforward and doesn't require full access.
To safeguard the phrase, Taihuttu uses a combination of blockchain-based encryption services and physical storage techniques.
Some segments are engraved onto fireproof steel plates using a hammer and letter punch, then hidden in secure locations.
To further protect the system, he has added a layer of personal encryption by substituting specific words within the seed phrase—rendering even partial recovery attempts useless without the full context.
He said:
“You only need to remember which words you changed.”
Roughly 65% of the family’s crypto is stored using this method, which Taihuttu views as more secure than centralised storage solutions like the Swiss Alps bunker operated by Xapo, a Coinbase subsidiary.
The remaining funds are divided between multi-signature wallets and decentralised exchanges for daily transactions and trading.
The family has largely moved away from centralised platforms, executing around 80% of their trades via decentralised exchanges like Apex—driven in part by concerns over the solvency of custodial institutions.
For hot wallet activity, Taihuttu relies on multi-signature wallets to add another layer of protection.
He considers the family’s cold wallet reserves as a long-term pension fund, which they plan to tap only if Bitcoin reaches a valuation of $1 million per coin.
The Taihuttu family, known for their full-time nomadic lifestyle and unwavering commitment to living entirely off Bitcoin, is now reassessing their public visibility amidst growing security concerns.
Once highly active on social media, with tens of thousands of followers across platforms, the family has begun retreating from the spotlight following a series of privacy breaches.
After strangers used clues from their YouTube videos to pinpoint their location, the family relocated and ceased sharing real-time travel updates or filming inside their home.
He expressed that the family has concurred to avoid traveling to France altogether:
“We got a little bit famous in a niche market — but that niche is becoming a big market now.”
Taihuttu noted:
“We stayed in a very beautiful house for six months — then I started getting emails from people who figured out which house it was. They warned me to be careful, told me not to leave my kids alone. So we moved. And now we don’t film anything at all.”
Currently based in Thailand, the Taihuttus continue to travel globally to advocate for Bitcoin, but with greater caution.
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