The “Bitcoin Family” claims they lost a million dollars on their bitcoin investment since the high of the cycle last year, but sold a lot at the peak.
Didi Taihuttu, the father of the family, remains optimistic. He is currently buying back bitcoin with the firm belief that the asset is bottoming out. In 2017 his wife Taihuttu and their three daughters liquidated everything they owned to buy bitcoin. They sold a 2,500-square-foot house as well as all their worldly possessions, in order to buy Bitcoin. At the time the price of Bitcoin was around $900.
“I’m buying Bitcoin daily,” Taihuttu told CNBC by phone from a beach in Lagos, Portugal. “For me, the lesson I’ve learned in the last two cycles is: when everyone is getting scared and when everyone is thinking bitcoin is going to crash, I’m slowly walking away, and I’m buying bitcoin.”
During this time Taihuttu has bought and sold bitcoin at the most “opportune” times, claiming “that’s the life of Bitcoin.”
Taihuttu sold approximately 15% of the entire family’s holdings in bitcoin at a time when the price had fallen below $55,000 in November last year.
“$55,000 for me was confirmation that we were going to go lower,” Taihuttu continued.
Bitcoin Volatility is Nothing New
The high level of volatility is a direct consequence of doing business in the digital asset market. Yet bitcoin has shown itself to be more stable than other digital content, raising the level of confidence in people who choose bitcoin over altcoins.
In the last decade, we can count two occasions where the bitcoin price was depressed for a prolonged period of time before recovering. The crypto-winter in 2018 caused the price of bitcoin to fall by more than 80%. From there, it climbed to an all-time high in 2021. There has also been multiple periods with a 50% crash, only to bounce back to all time highs.
The Bitcoin Family Calls for 140K
“There’s still one aspect of crypto that we’re waiting to see if another one will come along.” Taihuttu, who studies cryptocurrency market price charts and tracks popular indicators such as the Mayer Multiple, argues that bitcoin will currently bottom somewhere between $15,000 and $20,000, after which he expects a steady rise to over $140,000 by 2025. And right now, according to Taihuttu, is the “ultimate buying moment.”
This bullishness has served him relatively well so far. By Taihuttu’s account, his portfolio has exceeded 2,000% in returns over the past six years.
“Gradually, people will understand that being in bitcoin and doing HODL is more profitable than always trying to get that altcoin that is going to multiply by thousands,” says Taihuttu.
The Bitcoin Family’s Nomadic Life
Since their investment has paid off, this Dutch family of five has spent the last five years dedicated to a life of travel, seeing the vast world. After visiting some 40 countries, they decided to put down roots in Portugal, which is also a favorite destination for many Bitcoiners due to a 0% tax on the digital asset.
For the time being Taihuttu’s next goal is to run a Bitcoin-accepting bar, called BamBamBeach located in Lagos, Portugal. He also intends to spread the benefits of Bitcoin along the beach until the vendors on the beach are Lightning-compliant retailers.
“I think it will take about six months and I’ll have this whole beach accepting bitcoin,” he said, enthusiastic about the growth of bitcoin adoption.
The Bitcoin Family Investment Strategy
The family follows a strategy called “the 70/30 rule.” The idea is mainly based on having 70% of their bitcoin in “cold storage” (i.e., a place that can only be accessed physically), and the other 30% in a “hot wallet.” This means that this 30% is connected to the internet for any online exchange that may be required at the time.
This stored 30% is divided up, partly in bitcoin and the rest in a series of stable currencies with parity in dollars.
The “hot” storage allows for easy and direct use by owners who need to spend their bitcoin, but the downside is the potential exposure to bad actors.
How Do They Keep Their Bitcoin Safe?
Security is taken to a higher level; the family fortune is secured in secret vaults on four different continents, including two in Asia, two in Europe, one in Australia, and a sixth in South America. They revealed that they are hidden in a variety of ways and locations, ranging from friends’ homes to rented flats and self-storage sites.
They also hide the seed phrases, a unique grouping of 12-24 words used to access digital assets, on the same continent as the corresponding wallet they want to access. To add extra security they also make sure that both are in different countries.
Taihuttu confesses that he not only safeguarded his tokens from bad actors but also from himself.
“I think if I had those hardware wallets with me, maybe I would get more emotionally involved, and maybe when I see bitcoin going down, then I would take the hardware wallet and start selling or buying,” he said. “I can always fly cheap with RyanAir or AirAsia. In three hours, I’m there.”
